An Important Moment in My Life

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rest of the sideline with only inches to spare and hit pay dirt. The crowd went absolutely nuts.

I had never felt so powerful in all of my young life. The energy from the crowd was intoxicating, and even in the sweltering heat, I could make out Coach Doc’s face on the far sideline. He looked strangely puzzled, and I knew why. Coach Doc was trying to figure out how that shy, skinny, awkward kid from just a few weeks ago had just flown down the field like that. The truth was, I had no idea how I had done it either, but over the course of that season It happened again and again until I had led my team to the regional final. The regional final was the last game before the Pop Warner Super Bowl, and we were playing the defending national champion Richmond-Perrine Giants.

It was almost unbelievable how evenly matched our two teams were. The Giants fought ferociously from the very first snap, and I knew they wanted to win just as badly as we did. I played better than I had all season and raced up and down the field. My second touchdown came late with just forty seconds remaining in the game. All we had to do was get one more defensive stop, and the victory would be ours. I remember thinking to myself that surely we had done enough to come out victorious. The funny thing was that we hadn’t. The exhilaration I felt as I scored on the previous drive was replaced by the agony of watching the Giants score as time expired, and knowing there was nothing I could do about it. That was the worst loss I experienced in my whole life because that whole season felt magical, and I assumed that we would go all the way to the championship.

The funny thing about magical seasons is that you never think they’re going to end. My magical season did end, and it taught me so many things about myself and life. The most important lesson I learned is that what people think of you doesn’t matter in the end. The game is bigger than any one player; The game of football is about more than just football. The game of football is about life. It taught me how to fight relentlessly, even in the face of adversity. It taught me how to try my hardest in all my endeavors, and hold my head high both in victory and defeat. Most importantly football showed me that other people’s opinions don’t matter, the only thing that matters is how you feel about yourself.