I take a deep breath as I step on to the crowded soccer field, my body shivering in the cold night air. Clusters of parents and referees surround the perimeter of the field, there chatter fast and tense. Everyone is looking forward to seeing who will win the tough soccer match that should take place in a matter of minutes. I shake my head in disbelief, wondering how this game will play out. Could the underdogs possibly win?
Yes they can. They have to, or else the other team will rub it in their faces- our faces.
My mind swirling with mixed thoughts and emotions, I call for the ball, jumping in to the passing drill my team is doing to help us warm up. As we pass and collect, we talk quietly to each other, giving words of encouragement on how we’ll do on the final game, the one that, if we win, will send us to the county championships and give us an opportunity to play in a tougher league.
“Don't worry about this game,” says one of my younger teammates. “We’re only here to have fun.”
“No we’re not!” interjects another, older teammate. “We’re here to win, and to finally show that tras...
At the end of every practice our team made a circle and the two captains entered the centre beginning to lead stretches. This was all the same to me, I just remember the grass. The grass was always so green. It was bold, thick, it wanted to say something. No, it wanted to scream. How the grass contrasted with the cotton candy blue sky. The pure colours of the world around me right then and there always amazed me. The rich green grass versus the orange brown dirt of the field. The orange brown dirt of the field verses the delicate blue sky. Together they felt hand in hand.
"S---, do I have a choice? Do I have a choice? I just want to win games. Winning takes care of every category for an
Edwin O'Connor's novel The Last Hurrah presents an effective view of the difficult and complex life of the Irish-American community in Boston of the 1950's. The author uses a number of characterizations to produce themes that relate to the political and social considerations of this era. He also provides most of the accounts in his novel from a single perspective, that of Frank Skeffington. He is the main character. This character in particular enables O'Connor to present the topic with some accuracy while continuing to create a fictional account of the time frame. This was his goal, to provide truth inside a fictional story.
“That’s an exciting game,” Blatt said. “I know everybody’s looking forward to it. The significance of the game is probably more, in terms of the excitement that it’s generating, than the actual meaning of it.
As more of my teammates began to show up, I recognized most of them. However, I learned later that if I went on to play in the Spring, this would not be the same exact team I would play with. With only twenty minutes until we began,I put on all of my gear and my dad gave me a thorough warm up. Time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, everyone was gathered together as positions were being assigned. I was originally overwhelmed with excitement, but as the game drew closer, the joy I had felt was replaced with anxiety. The lacrosse game taking place before ours ended and we entered and took our place on our bench. I recognized the opposing team’s jerseys quickly and identified them as a travel team from our area. Taking one final breath, I rushed into the lacrosse net enjoying my bird’s eye view, unsure of what was to
Hansel, Phill. "Are We Having Fun Yet?." Swimming World & Junior Swimmer 36.2 (1995): 7. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.
As I bring the ball up the court, my mind is everywhere but the game. I dribble past the three-point line and post up on my teammate. I back my body into him while he’s putting his hands around my body like I am his lover. I smell his sweat as I push into him to dribble and get some room to work with. My mind is racing as I think of the smell of cow pastures and crack a grin on my face. I realize I’m still in the game and think of a video of Kobe Bryant pivoting to the right, pump faking to the left and shooting. I feel like a kangaroo as I effortlessly hop from one foot to the other and spin and shoot the basketball. As I shoot, I see my teammate watching me with his mouth open and sweat coming out the left corner of his mouth. My legs are
We didn 't play the way we wanted. Even though we struggled, we still did some things right. If we just focus on the things we did well like; boxing out, playing tough defense, and rebounding, we can work around those things and build up the things that needed to be worked on. I know that we can step up and play at a higher level. We just have to make some fundamental changes and work on some things in practice and I think that it will help in our next game. We can hold on to this loss for the night but when you come to practice tomorrow we aren 't going to hang on to this feeling we need to shake it off and start to prepare for our next game. We just need to use this game as an opportunity to see what we need to work on and build off of that. Once we improve what we need to, I think we can get to the level of success we want.”
Some of the most rewarding days there are. It’s my time to shine and be the player that I made during those long practice nights. I’ve been playing the game long enough to know what needs to be done and my role on the field. Knowing that those moments that I can turn into something unforgettable will only come few and far between, I stay focused and all in so I don’t miss my chance. The way I take my tests, give my speeches and present my projects are the same as my delivery in games.
The visualizations in the player’s head are so clear and precise from every play, every step, and every hit. Every player sees these visualizations before every game. This is what we, vicious football players, like to call game mode. As I sit in the locker room, I can just look around and see the straight non-emotional faces staring off in space thinking of nothing but the game. At this time all my problems, girlfriend, and schoolwork mean nothing. All I can thin...
The team was ready, we had been working extremely hard for the past seven months for this. We were all in great shape and very rested. A few of the returning players were meeting me at my house to carpool to the final game of the state championship tournament. Everyone knew that the hard work had paid off when we won the semi-final game the preceding day.
Standing in the middle of the circle before the game is an unrivaled view. Looking up to see the rainbow colored crowd supporting the two sides of the matchup. The amber rays of the sun peeking out from behind the cold, rough concrete of the stadium walls. The captain of the team has the weight of the world on his shoulders. With the help of up to 90,000 people supporting him at the same vicinity.
From that time and on it’s just me, my team, and the ball. I cancel everything out. After the game I have this sense of accomplishment. I know I tried my hardest, even if I didn’t have the best game, and I concentrate on the next game. When I make a shot I get this amazing feeling.
Part 1: Description of the soccer social world Ever since I was a young boy, playing soccer has always been my favourite activity. I have been playing soccer, watching soccer and talking about soccer for nearly every day of my life. The game that started out as a hobby quickly turned into a large part of my world. I realised that I am part of a unique social world with the game of soccer in the heart of it. Soccer is a game where two teams try to kick the ball inside the opponents net.
Feeling every pulse, the piercing of the cleats in the earth, the sweat running down your face is mesmerizing. The audience cheering and clapping feeling the excitement they display fuels you even at your most exhausted point to me is just exhilarating taking down every player. These are the motions and the feeling that I encounter as I play with my team as one each one like my brother. The best part of the game is the war and finishing up a great night with a win. But even when we find ourselves in a position where we lose we do not let heads down and I like that only because it shows me that we are human and we are all destine to fall one day but the way you handle it what God looks for and that is why I like being on the field it is not only a test of physical strength and endurance but also a test of your ethics and the way you carry yourself in