My Greatest Moment

I remember one of the greatest moments of my high school career. I have played lacrosse since seventh grade and every year I’ve gotten a little better, or at least I hope I have. My first year I understood most of the rules, could catch, throw, and pick up ground balls. My second year I understood all the rules, could pass well and put my shots where I wanted them. My third year of lacrosse was the first time I had played a high school sport so I think that I developed my skills much more than ever before.

After playing lacrosse for three years I thought that I was getting fairly decent however I had never scored a goal. All of my freshman year I took good aggressive shots and most of them were on goal. In practice I would put many of my shots behind the goalie but it seemed like the goalies in the games were brick walls. I can remember it like it was yesterday I picked up the ball verses Chantilly at the restraining line and carried it to the right corner of the box. The right side is my best side for taking shots; I have a fairly strong right hand with my stick. I took my man one on one, I tried to go outside and he was there so I went on the inside of the defender. He wasn’t ready and I had an open shot about fifteen feet out from the goal, I took it. In an instant the Chantilly goalie was on his knees with his stick in the dust. I felt like the world was paused. Then very slowly I saw him get up and pass the ball to his teammate who took off for our side. He had saved the last shot I would take for that season.

The whole year after I spent time getting in shape and working on my stick skills. At least twice a week I would go and shoot at the tennis courts that were near my house. I worked and worked at getting to be the best lacrosse player I could be. I wanted to know what it felt like to have my name and number announced over the whole field and possibly if I did my very best over the P.A. system in school the next morning.

* * *

During the off-season after my freshman year the head coach, Coach La Chance, was replaced.