Soccer Balls: A Short Story

It’s an incredibly scorching afternoon on the soccer fields. The parched grass begs for even the most miniscule drop of water. Sweat streams down my face as my cleats claw their way forward at top speed. My lungs spasm with gasps, desperate to get enough oxygen. A soccer ball soars gracefully through the air and lands perfectly at my tired feet. It takes me a millisecond to realize what has happened but I quickly snap to attention as a teammate yells out. My legs move instinctively towards their destination—the net. A player dives in front of me but I effortlessly sidestep her and continue on my determined way. The net moves closer and closer at a seemingly astonishing rate. I take a few more steps and set my body into the perfect position to score. I wind up and smack the ball, content that I have done everything flawlessly thus far. My ears prepare to hear the cheers of teammates congratulating me for a job well done, however, that moment never came. The
No longer did I want to be that person who deserved to be moved down to a deemed “loser” team. No longer did I want to be someone who failed academically, socially, and with family. Of course it took some time, but I gradually became someone who tried their very hardest in most aspects of their life. My confidence soared when I experienced spectacular things happening as I worked towards the things that I wanted. For example, I left the hardship I had experienced in middle school or my freshmen year of high school in the dust and gained my academic letter and beyond. The following sophomore year I made the varsity soccer team and made many new friends. Ashley doesn’t know it but her slap-in-the-face remark to me on that hot afternoon on top of the soccer field changed how I view my worth to the world. Everyday since that significant moment, I have been working to prove anyone who doesn’t believe I can achieve great things through hard work