Personal Narrative: My First Day Of Tryouts At My New High School

The first day of tryouts at my new high school was going extremely well. Socializing on the sideline, I thought, “Maybe high school isn’t going to be that bad after all.” However, The last drill of the day destroyed my hopes for making the lacrosse team. Running toward the goal, I felt a massive pop in my hip. A ligament had torn, and I could hardly walk. For weeks as I hobbled along on my cane, I would catch people staring at me in the hallways. Whether the cane or just low self-confidence, I never found that group of friends that I hoped for, mostly because I could rarely leave my house. I was determined not to sulk, so I began to learn the craft of woodworking, which had always intrigued me. After I learned the basics, I decided
to put my new talent to use. Hurricane Sandy had struck the East Coast in 2012 and even a full year later, people’s homes were still in ruin. My school’s woodworking club took a trip to a house in shambles. While I was putting up drywall and insulation in this home, I met the homeowners who had tears in their eyes. After I made eye contact with the owners, I began working in earnest. As sweat dripped down my face, I realized that my craftsmanship was improving immensely. Two months later, my hip still in pain, I received another flyer during homeroom. I immediately responded to the call for a service mission without even knowing its location. The woodworking club and I went to a nuns’ convent in upstate New York. We painted, built new shelves, and even installed new doors. I appreciated that woodworking and volunteering achieved a permanence that lacrosse lacked. My injury and recovery left me with a better understanding of my goals--both in lacrosse and life. When the lacrosse season came the next year, I was ready. I eventually played in every game and became friends with people on the team one by one. I found I had not been the only guy who had had a tough time finding friends freshman year. By the time junior year came along, I had a group of ten guys who are basically brothers to me. After recognizing my new passion for serving others and having already known my passion for lacrosse, I sought to combine the two. I began to think of ways in which I could help underprivileged kids learn to play the sport that I loved. Finally, I discovered an organization known as Lax4All that represented exactly what I was trying to do. I volunteered for this as soon as I could and traveled excitedly to my first session. As I sat in the passenger seat of my mom’s car, I noticed the houses turning to shambles as we neared closer to our final destination. When I reached the gymnasium, I met a little boy named Shaquan. He and I immediately became acquainted and I taught him the fundamentals of the game. The following week I decided to bring in my old equipment for my new friend, and when he saw the equipment his face lit up with joy. At that moment, I felt such a rush of happiness and knew that that feeling I got from the little boy’s joy was exactly what I was looking for. I had believed success and satisfaction could only be found while playing on the lacrosse field, but I was greatly mistaken. Through my injury, I was able to discover a higher truth. I found a new joy and happiness that permeates my life, especially when I use my lacrosse and wood-crafting skills to help others.