My heart is racing
My head is pounding
That feeling I get in my stomach before the starting whistle…
That feeling I get when the girl comes sprinting towards me…
That feeling I get when it is just me and the goalie…
I live for that feeling

I confidently step onto the freshly cut field
Tracking through the newly painted lines
Not aware of my surroundings
I hear nothing
Feel nothing
My game face is on
I glare at the opposing team
Black war paint smeared across their determined faces
“ON YOUR TOES!”
We are ready…
Ready to be titled champions
Nothing can stop us now

“Tweet”
The anticipated sound pierces through the silence
The opposing girl kicks the ball
We swarm her
She gets by half the team with her fancy footwork
And nothing-is-ever-going-to-stop-me look
all over her now mud splattered face
She trucks though our team like a bulldozer,
knocking everybody down in her path

I can’t let her by me
I think back to my dad’s words of encouragement
“Nobody gets through you, you hear me? Nobody.”
I use those words as fuel,
Empowering me to excel to the next level

The whole game was a battle
A competition between two teams who are determined to win
More then bragging rights
More then a dinky, cheap trophy
That just collects dust atop my bookshelf
We want the pride and glory;
The honor of being titled ‘Champions’