David sat in the quiet locker room with his teammates. Everybody had the same blank expression on their face. He sat in his basketball uniform with his hands folded in front of him and his elbows on his knees. The state championship was tonight. This was the night that he was going to redeem himself. *His mind immediately flashed back to an awful memory. Last year, David’s school basketball team had made it to the state championship, the same championship that he faces tonight. His team was down by one point with ten seconds left in the fourth quarter. The opponents were slowly dribbling the ball past half court when David steals the ball. He had a fast-break ahead of him and no one was guarding him. All David had to do was make an easy layup to win the game. The easiest shot in the world is a layup. He missed the layup and lost the most important game of the season. The fans booed and yelled. If David would have made that one, very important layup, he would have been a hero. He had let everyone down, including himself.*

David remembers that night as if it was yesterday. But tonight, he had a chance to redeem himself of that awful night. Tonight, David was going to play his heart out. He could hear the faint echo of the fans that were inside the gymnasium. Goosebumps appeared on his arms and legs, his heart started to thump, and his mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts. He closed his eyes in an attempt to control his wild emotions. The coaches sat down with the team and gave a brief pep-talk. The team then relocated into the tunnel that connects the locker room and the gym. The crowd was getting louder and louder as the start of the game approached. David started bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet to get his blood moving. He started to feel more excited as the roar of the crowd gave him energy and excitement. A small smile ran across David’s face as he quietly muttered to himself. Tonight is going to be a good night.