It is the morning of Thursday, February 23, 2017, and I wake up excited. Already ready for the day that is to come. Today is the state championship game. The game we have been waiting on for months.  I know that going through all of my classes will be excruciatingly hard. I will fidget and visualize every possible outcome of the game that will be played later. I rush off to school trying to keep myself from worrying too much about the game. I get to my first classes and sit there with anxiety and excitement. My body feels like there is a giant knot in my stomach, and my hands and feet cannot stop moving around.

My first two classes go by exceptionally slowly. Sitting there feels like I am in a different world, and all I can hear is the background of people talking. I get to lunch and all my friends and I can talk about is the game later. We only make each other more nervous by talking about what could possibly make or break the hard work we have put in all season. Practices everyday, nonstop games, sprints, pasta parties, and pep talks would all be wasted. Walking through the halls with all eyes on me in my orange is the most gratifying feeling and hypes me up even more. Gym day practice and the next class go by just as slowly as the first but this time the knot in my stomach has grown even bigger. My shoulders start to tense up, and I have to remember to lower them every once in awhile and relax.

Finally, towards the middle of the third class of the day, I leap up out of my chair and begin to head to the office hearing many “Good luck’s,” behind me. I’m so ecstatic that eating doesn’t really satisfy anything. My stomach is still in knots but watching inspirational videos and eating with the team calms me just a little. After what feels like ten minutes, I hear the bus pull up, and we are driven to Tad Gormley Stadium. We all jump in and begin to take our last ride to Tad this season. When we arrive, our parents are already waiting with giant cutouts of our faces, and they are cheering to pump us up. All I hear is my name being chanted by my mom and sister, and I turn and see all of the faces of my teammates sticking out of the windows. We get off of the bus and head to the locker rooms. My excitement and anxiety is growing greater seeing the field we are about to battle on. We start to put our jerseys on, and this idea really hits me. This is the last time I will be putting #11 on and getting ready for a game this season. I look to the seniors and see the same realization in their eyes as they put their jerseys on for the last time ever. We sit in a circle, some crying, and we sing and yell until we’re ready to go. We start the warmup, and I feel the hot sun on my back making me sweat. Every pass I make feels like every little decision really matters more than any time else. I look over at the opposite side of the field, and I see the other team warming up just as hard as we. We sing the National Anthem, and I look into the crowd and see the sea of orange and white that came to support us. Our fans are loud and cheerful, and the sound pumps me up even more when I hear them yelling. I look up and see the bright lights under the now dark sky. We say our cheer, and the game starts.

I’m watching in anticipation and worry, and suddenly I hear my name called by my coach. He tells me I’m going in the game, and the knot in my stomach immediately explodes. I run onto the field, more than ready to play. I feel my adrenaline pumping through my veins, and all my body wants to do is run. All I can hear is the sound of the crowd screaming and chanting and my teammates communicating on the field. When the ball is passed to me I make sure to stay calm and composed and take many deep breaths. After a few minutes of getting used to the fast pace of the game the referee blows the whistle, and now halftime begins. We gather around our coaches, and they explain to us what we need to do. I go back onto the field, and I am determined to make a difference in this game. Suddenly, the ball goes out of bounds right near the corner flag by the other team’s goal. I run to the ball, grab it, and prepare myself to make a long throw-in to the middle of the box. I back up, see my teammates moving around the box, and I run and throw the ball as hard as I can. Everything goes silent as the ball soars through the air. Our striker heads the ball backwards and another teammate kicks the ball into the back of the net. Pure joy. I run to the center of the field and cannot hear anything besides the sound of my voice and my footsteps on the ground. Nothing else in this moment mattered besides my team and the game. I’m feeling a new sense of proudness, so much that I could cry.  The team jumps and hugs each other, but quickly realizes what we must do to finish this game.

The rest of the game goes by in a blur, and all I can think about is the final whistle. All of the cheers and screams turn into background noise, and all I can hear is my coaches and teammates. I constantly look back at the scoreboard and can practically hear the time ticking in my head. My body now shakes with excitement and anticipation. Finally, I hear the final whistle blow as I scream and dog pile on top of my teammates. I’m now experiencing the most joyous moment of my life, and I cannot stop myself from crying. We run to the fans, and I see the sea of orange and white once again and hear their excited screams. We receive the trophy, hold this prize up, and we are so proud in that moment that nothing else could possibly matter.

The moment our team scored from the ball I threw in and the moment the whistle blew on the field meant so much to me I could hardly believe that this has happened as we stood there in front of the screaming crowd. I have never experienced this much joy from something I have worked so hard for. Even though the season was long and tiring, feeling this moment with my best friends and teammates means everything, and I would play this entire season all over again. I feel as though I’m in my own little paradise, hearing the screams, feeling my tears, and seeing all the people that came to support us on this incredible journey. Right now, in this moment, I wish that everyone is able to feel the pure joy and excitement that I am experiencing now.