The Football Of The Baseball Team - 1531 Words

As everyone ran to the field eager and excited to begin their freshman year of football I awkwardly stumbled along, following them as the field grew closer. I was scared, no; I was absolutely petrified. Never before had I played a real sport. Sure I played a few seasons on the city’s little league baseball team, but in my young mind, that was surely nothing compared to this. Tackle football: I had seen a few minutes of it when my dad and his friends watched, or when my friends played Madden 05’. Although actually playing was another story altogether; I was sure that my out of shape, chubby, fourteen year old body would collapse, and I would die. Only now is it that I know that everyone else on that field was equally as scared as me; that,†¦show more content†¦More than a few times I wanted to quit, and more than a few times I thought I was literally going to die. How did all of these kids run this much without dying? I was sure it couldn’t have been healthy. â€Å"FASTER! FASTER! AGAIN! AGAIN!† coach Hilliard screamed at the top of his lungs. At the time I fully believed he made us run just to make us stronger, also I think he got some happiness from our pain. Either way, I knew that I hated it and this man was not going to get me to compete for him. One day after practice, he pulled me aside before I could go back to the locker-room to change. â€Å"Hey Jake can I talk to you for a second.† he said very nonchalantly, I walked over and stood there nervously wondering what he wanted. â€Å"Jake, I know that you don’t like being here, and I know that you only come because your friends are on the team. But Jake, I see a lot of potential in you. I see a young man who isn’t sure about a decision he has made, and I want you to make me a promise.† He said all of this in such a calm and kind almost caring manner. I was astonished that someone I thought was so mean and hateful could sound so kind and meaningful. â€Å"What’s the promise?† I responded hesitantly. â€Å"I want you to give this team one hundred percent of your effort Jake. For the rest of the season, I want you to try to care about this team, I want you to push yourself to try and be the best you can be. If at the end of the year you