It was time. My football championship game was now. As I exited the locker room, I was hit with an overwhelming sight of spirit. Everywhere I looked there were excited parents, curious kids, and people from both schools cheering and yelling like wild animals. You could see, in each individual, a certain positive energy that emitted through their screams and cheers. The air felt damp and misty. I could feel dew on the soles of my shoes. Screams roared across the entire stadium. What I saw was hype. I hadn’t come this far to lose and disappoint. I was as ready as a snake about to strike his prey.

We strode on to the fields with our heads held high. The sound of glee echoed around us. All my teammates were taut, tense, and completely silent. I could just feel the energy and vigor that we held inside us. We were all thinking the same thing: winning. Our demeanor was serious and disciplined. I could sense the other team gazing at our royal blue and charger yellow jerseys. No mistakes would be made today. Everything had to be perfect. We began with synchronized stretches and our chants were audible throughout the field. Our team was in it to win it. We screamed at the top of our lungs. Echoes of the other team’s chants clashed with ours, motivating us to yell even louder. Every hit and block counted today. This was it.