Sergeant Bluff: A Short Story

We walked together to the field, the spikes on the bottom of my cleats clicking with each step on the parking lot pavement. A huge field with onlookers filling the bleachers on the far side came into view, lit up by the soft evening light. I spotted the girls on my team and my tired looking grey-haired coach. Me and my dad split up, me going to warm up with my team and my dad going to sit with the team parents. As I was passing with my teammates I watched the opposing team carefully. I observed how neat their drills were and how accurate their shots and passes were. They all looked so athletic and that really made me doubt myself. How was I supposed to prove to everyone that I was a good player if I had to play against a team this good? What if I mess up and the other team completely destroys my team? The loud buzzer that ended the warm ups sounded and both teams went to their side of the field. My coach called today’s starters out, and luckily he didn’t choose me. Relieved, I went to go sit on one of the hard metal chairs they provided for the teams on the sidelines. The chairs were uncomfortable but that didn’t bother me. I had other things on my mind. I sat shivering watching the events of the game

While other students were out celebrating the first week of summer, the New Albany Girls Lacrosse team was practicing for one of the biggest moments in their lives. They were preparing to compete in the Division II Lacrosse State Championship Game on June 1st. The team had one week to ensure they knew their plays, calls and were general ready for one of the toughest games of the year. Among this team there were twenty-five girls, and within this group of girls there were only two goalies. These two goalies, Kathleen Schell and Grace Anthony, had to hold the team together. Kathleen was talking to Grace before the end of practice and told her “I am really nervous, because I don’t know who coach is going to throw out there first. Also, what if

In third grade I began my first official Sheridan sports team. I was now officially making my way to becoming a general; before that I didn’t have any idea of what being a “general” meant. At the time I was attending Thornville elementary and the majority of my friends at my school were just as pumped as I, for our first practice on the field beside the infamous Sheridan Middle school. The first few weeks of practice taught me nothing I wanted was going to be easily attainable, these coaches expected more out of me than I had ever been accustomed to. The bar they set for us each day pushed us to new heights we had only dreamed of.

It was a brisk fall evening, and my seventh grade youth football team and I had traveled to Aberdeen to play the undefeated Chiefs. We had worked harder and longer than we ever had that week to show that we were a threat in the league and ascend from our third place ranking. We knew it was not going to be easy; the Chiefs’ team had the fastest running back in our division, and they had scored more total points per game than any other team in the Southeast Idaho Youth Football League. The field was neater and greener than we had expected in this town. It was a great day for football, and I was with all of my best friends. I knew going in that it was going to be a learning experience whether we won or lost that night because the Chiefs were

One day in Red Bluff Julia was walking down the street and she saw that somebody was lying on the ground so she went to see who it was. The person who was lying on the ground was her best friend Baily. Julia saw that Baily had gangrene fingers and spots on her arms. Julia had wanted to save her good friend Baily so she went to find help she almost tripped on a dead cat in the middle of the road. She was able to find somebody, but by the time she got to her good friend Baily she was already gone from where she had left her she was gone. She had turned to face the person who was going to help her but she was gone.

We were supposed to be playing football for the entire time. Of course, I was excited. The season hadn’t started yet and I was itching to get on the field. The teachers decided to make it a boys vs. girls match. Now, most people would just think that this was just some normal day at gym, but it very much wasn’t. You see, a certain person was in that same class. His name was Calum Thomas Hood, also known as the best male footballer at Norwest. Everyone knew that this match was anything but ordinary.

•It was finally time for the 1995 World Cup in Sweden. With only six minutes left in the game, April Henrichs the assistant coach decided to put me as goalkeeper because our goalie had been evicted for a technical violation.I was so nervous and thought

I kick the ball and position myself to kick the ball again but before I can a girl from my team comes and takes it away, and before she can kick it a girl slides and tackles her. Now the other team gets a corner kick. At the same time on the bench I can hear coach yelling at the top of his lungs to get on the 18 and to look out for the corner and to not forget the girl from the other team behind me. Next to coach I see a girl telling him that his pick for formation is extremely intelligent and that his coaching is superb. The girl from the other team kicks the ball. It’s a goal. The goal keeper just turns to us and said “you were supposed to prevent that” and follows it up by rolling her eyes and says “if you are not going to block that then why are you even playing”.

I am getting myself prepared for the biggest game I have in my career. The 2014 State Championship game. My team had driven from Temple,Texas to San Marcos,Texas, a three hour drive. I am only a little bit nervous because I know my team can win. We are waiting for the game before us to finish so we can play our hearts out. The referee blows the final whistle, and we step on to field and warm up. We pass the ball around playing keep away. The referees call for captains. My coach tell me which side he wants and I went over. The outcome was my team got our side and kickoff which was a win-win. My coach gives my team the lineup. I am playing defense which is no surprise. We break out and take the field. The other team plays really tight, but we have played them before so we know what they are like. We pass quickly and work the ball around the field. Soon the other team is out of position ,and we score a goal. We do some more passing. Making the other team run more which makes them more tired. We take a few more shots but we miss. Half time is called and then we go back to work. The other team gets a break away and in chasing the girl. As soon as she kicks the ball as hard as she can I stick my right foot out. The ball hits my

There are more than 400 million people in this city, a humid city, a typical Chinese southern city, and some of them are in this metro. The metro comes from the past, and goes to the future. If there is any destination, I am not the one who knows the answer.

She jogged back out onto the field and was at the ready on the line for the second half to start. Three, two, one. The half started and she was after the ball, proceeding with all the adrenaline in her body. That faster she sprinted, the closer she was to her goal, the ball, she was ready to show her coach how swiftly she could complete her next goal. The ball was in between her feet on the opponents’ side of the field and she was getting her mind-set ready to score when she was flattened by one of the opposing team’s

Rain flogged the roof of my car, a punishing reminder of its ferocity and strength. The rain had become so intense for so long that it was starting to flood the city. Thankfully, my street had excellent irrigation. I turned off my car and felt my bruised shoulder. Football practice had been unmerciful today. Apparently, word of the fight got around, and Coach was sure to give Jack and I a lecture and an extra dose of drills and laps. Coach vehemently reprimanded us on the severity of the potential consequences of our actions. How one little stunt could jeopardize the big game, everything he had worked so hard for. Homecoming was next week, but to me, however, it felt as if the day would never come.

Seriously. Grif is just this lazy jerkass who does nothing but eat and sleep and figure out increasingly creative ways to avoid having to do actual work...until he's properly motivated. Until he actually gives a shit. For one reason or another. And then he holds. He's a damn good soldier when he has to be and he hates himself for it. He's a DAMN good family man when he has to be and he resents his family for it. Because he's never gotten anything from the army. He sure as fuck never got anything from his family (mom and sister) but. he loves as hard as he hates and will do what he needs to do when the time comes and all without getting a bit of thanks or recognition because no matter how much he ends up contributing he's so good at maintining

On Wednesday, September 2nd I went to the Men's Soccer Game against UCF, sponsored by the Athletics Department. I choose to go to this event because I missed the previous soccer game against Georgetown. I love sporting event and wanted to support my school's team and be an active Dirty Bird member. It was my first game at FGCU and even though there was a lightning delay I really enjoyed the game. My friends and I arrived early to the game and sat in the Dirty Bird section behind UCF's goal. The event was a whiteout so the few UCF fans were hidden in a white blob. They started the game by announcing all the players and singing the National Anthem, and I remember being impressed by how well the girl sung the anthem. During the game, since all

This morning I woke up and thought it was a gratifying day until, I walked into town and saw the stores closing. So I walked up to the owner and asked why he was closing the shop. BAM! I got hit in the head with a rock. OH NO! I see the one thing that i thought I would never thought would never come back into my life and the others around me. The most loathed little boy in town Red Chief was here. I felt so bad for whoever would have thought to take him away, but I guess that they just got so fed up with all his bullying and terrorizing that they just had to bring him back. He walked up to me to say something and just like a leaf I was gone with the wind, and with that I ran all the way back home. I just dread for the days that will come that