Late last summer, I was hired to coach the team that would have an unimaginable impact on our talent pool for my high school volleyball teams. In the past years, I developed a bright, shining passion for the sport, and coaching a team would be an astounding opportunity to utilize my inspiration to give back to the community. Previously I had been a student manager of the Varsity team, following orders and assisting in practices; in other words, the mule of the gym.
I’ve always had, and still continue to grow, a love for simply being in the volleyball gym. Watching the athletes practice every day, observing the coaches lead and train, and cheering along from the bench during every game were only a fraction of the enjoyments that pulled me tighter
It was six o 'clock at the Friendswood junior high mustang field I was playing strong safety and I had to cover the extra receiver they brought out by the snap I was already beating my man and the next thing I know the ball was sailing my way straight to me. I am 13 years old and I am on the Friendswood junior high C-football team I am a second string slot receiver and starting strong safety
The buzzer going off, the crowd cheering, for the first time in school history, Trinty Clinton Township are state chapions. That team made history, acheiving far more than what any spartan was thought possible, but this team accomplished far more than a state championship. There has been Trinity greats that have made a mark in the Trinity basketball program history. I knew, this being my last year at trinity, that I had had mighty big shoes to fill if I also wanted to make a perminet mark at trinity. "The differance between successful people and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will"- Vince Lambardi.
When I was 7 years old I went to my first high school game with my mom, the teams that played were Roosevelt and Flower. I will never forget that day Sept 8th at 8PM friday night lights. My older cousin Brett Pierce was the starting Cornerback for flowers, I admired him because he the starting Corner and he was ranked #23 in the Nation for his position. My cousin ended the game with 18 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles that was one of the greatest days of my life. After the game was over I asked my mom could she sign me up to play football, she told me I wasn’t big enough.
In life, even though we are told not to do so, a lot of us “count our chickens before they hatch”. We make assumptions on things before they happen because we believe that if something seems so likely, it will happen. Well, that is what my Liberty High School cross country team did my sophomore year. Going into the year, we not only knew we were going to be strong, we thought other teams were going to be weak. The top teams from the state finals the previous year had all lost most of their key pieces.
The softball team has gave me unforgettable friendships, the ability to play with such inspiring athletes, and has given me skills that I can carry on due to coach Sal. The first year I had started on West High’s softball team was sophomore year. I remember going to the try outs, feeling awkward, due to me not being close to any of the girls since we were twelve and eleven. All the girls that were my age, the ones I was friends with when I was younger, were all on varsity. Since it was my first year back as a Falcon, Sal placed me on JV.
The Thursday night lights beamed down on me as kickoff approached. It was the last game of the 8th grade football season and the last chance to make my mark on a personally rather ordinary season. We were playing Celina, a team known to be a powerful opponent. I was on the kickoff return team, playing on the far left side of the field and on that particular night we were set to receive the kick. The referee’s whistle pierced the warm and soundless autumn air.
I watched as the batter stepped up to the plate. My coach pitched the ball and BAM! The softball hit me right in the knee! My softball team had a tournament coming up for Minnesota schools.
“Unfortunately, Jack, there will not be many opportunities for you this year.” Seconds after being told I had made the varsity baseball team, I did not expect my coach to so bluntly tell me I would be spending more time watching the game than playing it. Our state ranked team had a pitching staff full of Division 1 commitments and future MLB draft picks, and I was being told I did not measure up. The bench became my best friend.
It was the moment I had been practicing for. I was finally going to try out for my middle school cheer team and hopefully make it. I was so excited I could barely focus on my classes that day. I had run through all of the steps at least 50 times that day. I had always wanted to do cheerleading and this was my moment to do it.
Do you know how to help a girl overcome her shyness and build confidence? Suggest she tries out for a travel team of her sport of choice that she excels at while doing. This is what helped me when I became a player many travel softball teams I have became a part of; becoming a member of the teams made tremendous impacts on my life. One significant impact is making new friends throughout the two years I played for a team.
Nothing hurts more than being excluded. I learned this the hard way my sophomore year. This is a story about my high school lacrosse team. Most of my friends are on the team so we’ve become very close after playing together since the seventh grade. We play lacrosse in the backyard almost everytime we’re together.
Participating in high school soccer has taught me many life lessons, of which “determination” was the most important. At Fleetwood High School, soccer is a highly respected sport. As a freshman, I competed against many talented upper classmen for a spot on the team. Being one of the youngest players trying out was intimidating, but it forced me to establish a goal for myself. I was determined to, not only make the team, but to make the varsity team.
“Congratulations, this is the 2013-2014 Mission Vista Men’s Varsity Soccer team.” I still remember the words coming out of my high school coach’s mouth as he spoke to the new varsity team after tryouts. I was the shortest and one of the youngest players on the team, but my passion for the game was not any less than anyone on the team. I was one of the only three sophomores on the team with a team dominated by juniors and seniors.
A team in Concord, Calif., has had a win streak of 151 games. North Atlanta High School 's team can barely pull off three wins this season. The Spartans have had plenty of perfect seasons. North Atlanta closest time ever in the school’s history was to getting a perfect season was going 7-3 in 2010.The team from California doesn 't know the meaning of defeat. North Atlanta barely knows the feeling of winning.
The start of my freshman year was a thrilling experience for me. To start out my freshman year I made the schools Varsity soccer team, a huge accomplishment for me. However, I was naïve to the coming situation to myself. I was on the path to continuous harassment from teammates as I was surrounded by seniors. Many of the seniors had egos, full of themselves in every aspect possible.