Personal Narrative: Tigres 2003 Home Jersey

In third grade I began my first official Sheridan sports team. I was now officially making my way to becoming a general; before that I didn’t have any idea of what being a “general” meant. At the time I was attending Thornville elementary and the majority of my friends at my school were just as pumped as I, for our first practice on the field beside the infamous Sheridan Middle school. The first few weeks of practice taught me nothing I wanted was going to be easily attainable, these coaches expected more out of me than I had ever been accustomed to. The bar they set for us each day pushed us to new heights we had only dreamed of.

On the eve of my grandfather's funeral, as my father, my sister, and my cousin and I stood around a pile of jerseys, t-shirts, and polos that once belonged to my grandfather, we each claimed a few for ourselves. I claimed a blue and white baseball shirt that reads “Cosmos” on the front, perhaps the team name, and “Annen” on the back. Whenever I wear this shirt I get emotional, it is, besides photographs, one of the last tangible things I have of my grandfather.

Ottawa-Glandorf athletics taught me more than I ever thought I would have learned. Being apart of Titan sports comes with a stigma: a stigma to be great, to work hard, and to carry good sportsmanship. I participated in Ottawa-Glandorf sports so I could be apart of a team, enhance leadership skills, and build relationships with peers. My freshman year I decided to join the girls soccer team. I was a little hesitant as I was the only Glandorf girl on the team, but after the first week of practice, I met some of my best friends I have today. Although I didn’t get much playing time, I always tried my hardest, gave it my all, and was a leader on and off the field.

“When your legs can’t run anymore, run with your heart.” Spring is the best time of the year, because it is soccer season. Spring of 2016 was a special time to me, because I was a freshman at Wahlert Catholic High School trying out for the women’s soccer team. I went into the first open gym scared, nervous and excited all at the same. The open gyms were for use to get in shape for the actual season and for the coaches to get a better look at our soccer skills. Previously in the year of 2014 I played for a club soccer team called DSC or Dubuque Soccer Club. After that 2014 season was over I decided to quite DSC and try something different. So going into open gyms I knew that I was going to be a just a bit rusty because I haven’t played soccer in a while. As open gyms went on some upperclassman were telling me that the coach was very impressed by the skills I had. Being only a freshman it was very flattering to know that the coach thought that about me. Knowing this it drove me to keep pushing myself hard and hard, because my goal was to make it on varsity.

As a young girl, I was introduced to soccer by my father. I think I was about eight at the time when I first played on a recreational team, and I remember that I had always wanted to play goalkeeper. In soccer, the goalkeeper is the last defensive player, but is also the first offensive player once the play turns. The idea of playing such an important position thrilled me, and it didn’t hurt that the goalkeeper gets the opportunity to use their hands as well as punt the ball across the field. From the age of nine until the age of eleven, I played competitive and recreational soccer as a goalkeeper, and stopped in the sixth grade. I picked the sport back up as a freshman in high school, after my younger sister had urged me to join the school

It was a blazing, sunny summer day in Richmond when my Mom took my brother and I to the toy store. When we got there we saw the massive ToysRus sign in the big blue sky. As we were getting out of the car and we were in complete awe of the all the toys we could see through the vast windows. As we got inside our eyes sparkled with excitement and shock. We were running through the store and then we saw some red and blue remote control cars we had to have. But there was a dilemma we both wanted the red car and after a few moments of brawling my Mom awarded the prized red car to him. I was sore, but I soon got over it because I still got a appealing blue car. Not long after we got home my brother was bragging about how he had obtained the red

I came home from school just like any other day. It was around the end of the fourth grade and I was very exited for summer to be here! I noticed an unusual box sitting in the corner of the room but I paid it no attention as a rambled on to my mom, what I thought was a sectaculer day! Later my dad called my sister and I to the kitchen table to talk. The first thing that crossed my mind was, “oh Lord, what have we done now?” Instead, my dad pointed at the box in the corner. He told us to go look inside and tell him if we recognized where the things were from. As I look down into the box, I recognize the pictures of my family and the past fathers day gifts my sister or I had given my dad over the years that he always had sitting on his desk at

After playing recreational soccer for ten years, my soccer team decided to attempt an indoor league after our main, outdoor season ended in the fall. I had never played indoor soccer before, and was excited to try it but also extremely nervous because I was unsure of how we would perform compared to teams who had played before. Seeing the indoor field for the first time, I felt a false sense of security that we would perform well because the field and the goals were smaller than in outdoor soccer. When the game started, the other team immediately outran us and outplayed us. The ultimate failure came when I, as goalie, constantly let in thirteen goals. The worn out defenders were at the halfway line, while I was left defending against with

It all started at school. Everyone on the team was wearing their jerseys. Later in the day we had a pep rally in the school gym. It was a lot of fun and got us all pumped up for the big game. There were food and drinks for everyone and I had a good time. The next day was our game and I was focused on winning.

My parents and I would always be at the park every weekend for my soccer games. Soccer is my passion and having the support from my parents every single time is the best feeling anyone can have. There has been times that I wanted to give up on what i love to do most which is soccer but my family has been there to motivate me .

My life was just going great for 1 week . I was hoping that things would pick up from here. Soccer was going great, I had been accepted to the prestigious science summer academy. I had all A+’s and my Dad’s pneumonia had finally cleared up after 2 months of treatment.

I have been playing football for most of my life. I play a lot of positions but mainly wide receiver. My statue is also on the smaller side. At the end of the football season last year, I walked up to my head coach and asked him what he thinks I need to work on in the off season. I knew that coach would give it to me straight and that he would not hesitate to tell me the truth. Coach replied with “well you need to get bigger and stronger. We all know that you can catch the ball, but you also need to get faster.” Coach then proceeded to give me the name and telephone number of the personal trainer that he hired for his son when he played football. To my surprise it was Gorge Mangum of Bigger, Faster, Stronger High Desert; George is very well

I am Angus mckinnon and I am 14 years old. Through my 14 year being alive and have changed quite a lot. When I was 6 years old I joined my first rugby union club with my best friend at the time and my dad as the coach. At the time of me joining rugby it was almost a tradition my dad played it and my older brother, they basically were my reason and influence to play the great sport. I played rugby for another 6 years until I turned 12 and I never wanted to turn to another sport. But when one of my friends came over with a PlayStation game he got for his birthday. I was shocked as when I saw the cover, it was a soccer game the one sport I hated the most but that the day my passion for soccer started. Now aged 14 I enjoy playing both sports equally. I am very lucky to be part of this great school Marist College Ashgrove where I can play both rugby and soccer. I am not only grateful for the sport here at Marist college Ashgrove but I am also great for the education and religious opportunities. That teach us here at Marist College Ashgrove we are taught to act as marcelin did and to pray to Jesus trough Mary.

11-year-old me sitting in the passenger seat of my dad’s black Infinity with my running shoes tied over my knee – high soccer socks; my feet resting on my black back pack covered with gold pins from different tournaments, zipped up to contain my smelly cleats and shin guards. Waiting to walk to down to practice I saw an older looking girl run by our car. She was wearing a maroon and white jacket that I had never seen before. It was a Nike dri – fit, water proof material, with the Slammers FC logo embroidered on the chest. I looked at my dad and excitedly asked, “Dad look at that jacket! Can I please get one for Christmas?”

It was February 3, 2008, one of the most anticipated days of the year in sports. I was 10 years old, and looking forward to the Super Bowl; the New England Patriots vs. the New York Giants. The game started out as usual, with some great snacks, comedic commercials, and big plays. Now watching the game made me start to miss playing football. It being February in Colorado, there was ice and snow outside, so I contemplated if I really wanted to go play football. I sat through the entire first half with a football in my hand, tossing it up and down. Once the halftime show came on, I no longer had the desire to stay and watch so I put on my jacket on and went outside.