A Transition
Takudzwa Imbayago
Dr. Jonathan Wright
English Comp 1
6 September 2014
Paper1: A Transition
After being offered a scholarship at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, I had to report to school for preseason training. Preseason is supposed to be a time for coaches to assess players, and to build team chemistry. It is also supposed to test the physical and mental strength of players. I was signed as a true freshman, which means I was expected to play varsity soccer as a freshman and not be red shirted or kept down with the reserves. Over the winter season (summer in America), I put in a lot of hours in order to prepare myself for the intense preseason that coach had scheduled for us. But only to find out that all that work had been for nothing.
My first adventure of preseason was arriving to the United States from Zimbabwe. America gave me a bag of mixed feelings. The people were pleasant but the weather was totally different. I came from the city of Harare, which is the capital. In Harare it is hot but there’s no humidity, and I had to re-learn how to breath whilst playing Soccer, something I had not done since Grade 2. I arrived to preseason about a week late, so I missed the entire fitness test that the rest of the team had to fight through. After moving into my dorm, Baldwin, I had to go see Coach Beard about getting my training gear. I was given brand new Nike blue shorts, black socks, a bag, and a plain white t-shirt. I had never worn Nike in my life. In Zimbabwe only no-name brands were available. Coach told me that I would need to earn our prestigious black Nike dri-fit practice shirt in order to be considered for the varsity squad. Coming from Africa, I was not used to getting things for free because in Zimbabwe if someone gives you something for free it means they want something from you in return, which was not Coach’s intention.
Next, came the truly tough part which was practicing twice a day. We had six a.m runs that were four miles long. Following
Dr. Jonathan Wright
English Comp 1
6 September 2014
Paper1: A Transition
After being offered a scholarship at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, I had to report to school for preseason training. Preseason is supposed to be a time for coaches to assess players, and to build team chemistry. It is also supposed to test the physical and mental strength of players. I was signed as a true freshman, which means I was expected to play varsity soccer as a freshman and not be red shirted or kept down with the reserves. Over the winter season (summer in America), I put in a lot of hours in order to prepare myself for the intense preseason that coach had scheduled for us. But only to find out that all that work had been for nothing.
My first adventure of preseason was arriving to the United States from Zimbabwe. America gave me a bag of mixed feelings. The people were pleasant but the weather was totally different. I came from the city of Harare, which is the capital. In Harare it is hot but there’s no humidity, and I had to re-learn how to breath whilst playing Soccer, something I had not done since Grade 2. I arrived to preseason about a week late, so I missed the entire fitness test that the rest of the team had to fight through. After moving into my dorm, Baldwin, I had to go see Coach Beard about getting my training gear. I was given brand new Nike blue shorts, black socks, a bag, and a plain white t-shirt. I had never worn Nike in my life. In Zimbabwe only no-name brands were available. Coach told me that I would need to earn our prestigious black Nike dri-fit practice shirt in order to be considered for the varsity squad. Coming from Africa, I was not used to getting things for free because in Zimbabwe if someone gives you something for free it means they want something from you in return, which was not Coach’s intention.
Next, came the truly tough part which was practicing twice a day. We had six a.m runs that were four miles long. Following