This is for the below­average athletes
This is for the midgets and giants who cannot play This is for the kids that don’t make the team
For the former star and for the amateur who

cannot impress coaches
For the fair­weather sports person
And for the talented men that cannot win Don’t Give Up

This is for the underdogs and the rookies rising above them

For the veterans that are worried about having a short career

For the man who’s late to practice because of work

For the guys who want to learn but can’t pay heed enough

And for the basketball players whose game­ winning shots fall short

Don’t Give Up

This is for the athletes
Who cannot communicate well with their teammates Don’t Give Up
For the players who are limited to injury
Don’t Give Up
For the retired baller who is unsure

about his or her future
For these tryout wallflowers and the

youth who have trouble with sportsmanship For the quarterback with all the pressure

on him
For the soccer star with leg cramps Don’t Give Up

Make this not just some sports poem that I write Not just some poem like just another night of

practice that sits heavy above us all
Walk into it, breathe it in, let it crash through

your physical area
Like the millions of years and millions of athletes Coursing like blood, pumping and pushing
Make you live not giving up
So when the sports world knocks at your front door Clutch the knob tightly and open on up
And run forward and far into its widespread

ready arms
With your body outstretched before you Footsteps striving to greatness
Though they may be