English 12 Naritive

Brandon T. Olson

English 12

September 28, 2016

        As I looked out into the crowd, the feeling of pride was intoxicating. Seeing hundreds of students, teachers,and parents all together on a Friday night. Screaming their lungs out and slamming their feet to the classic rock song "Black Betty" in anticipation of the opening kickoff. Parents bantered of town gossip while their children ran freely with 25c laughy taffy and Mt.Dew. Meanwhile the aroma of the famous halftime food of the Bulldogs, porkchops. Overpowed all other smells, leaving a pool of saliva in your mouth. As I looked to the far right of the stands the BHS Student Section began to flutter to life. Suddenly, from over the roar of the crowd I hear the distinct voice of a single student "Lets go Bulldogs, lets go!" followed by three distinct claps. The chant was soon amplified by the echo of hundreds of students. "Lets go Bulldogs, lets go!" *clap*clap*clap*, the anthem spoke to me like a battle cry. I held my breath as I watched our warriors line down the familiar mud and grass battlefield of Eppard Feild. Their eyes fixed forward and their home town behind them, they were ready. My mind races with anticipation as the countdown comes to an end. I look out at the sea of people; and time seems to stop, I see everything. The Sr. girls holding signs to show support for their favorite players, the prideful parents screaming until their heads were red like cherries. "Lets go Bulldogs, lets go"! *clap*clap*clap* I found myslf cheering almost uncontrolably. I was hooked, the sound the kicker booting the ball landed right between my heart beats as I closed my eyes. "The Bulldogs will start with the ball on the 30 yard line". The announcer boomed over the spekers. "a good play, now its game time.

        4th grade marked the beginning of contact football. The first step in achiving every young boys dream of playing under the friday night lights. I was a smaller kid with toothpick like arms, and a long shaggy head of hair. An outcast to say the least, I spent most of my days of practice getting knocked around by the other kids. But to me thats what football was, a bunch of kids slamming into eachother for a ball.

        As a child not yet dignosed with ADD (Attention Defficit Disorder) I never could focus on single task. So I frequently found myself lost in thought. My mind wandered off as I studied the world around me. Things as simple as the gentle push of the fall wind that swept across my skin chilling me to the bone. Or even the sound of football pads clashing together signifing a good hit. would send my mind into a whirlpool of thought, trying to make sense of everything around me. Making it difficult for me to follow plays and understand my role for the team aswell as a player on the feild.

        While intermediate school came and passed I was neglected by almost everybody on the team and in the school. Unknown ,un-populur, and unathletic the B-team was where I belonged. The 2nd strings of  the intermediate, the team was just a way parents would be able to see their kids play. This kept parents paying so the football program would continue to gain a check every year. So through out intermediate and 6th grade I passed my time reading books and playing videogames.

        Then finally the first day of pracice in 7th grade I met Coach Shmidt, a middle aged man with short blond hair that was messy and matted in the front. His face was one I will never forget, his jaw line was long and pointed and his nose weirdly curved to the right. Upseting the balnce of his Rayband glasses on his face.  A jolly guy to say the least, his face was always seen with a smile. As the   new coach to  Becker he was first one to break the team up and look at each individual player. He did this by testing each kid individualy to see where they fit on the team. And when he did, Coach Shmidt changed everything. That was when I was given the shot I had waited 4 years for, he placed me in A team defense at cornerback. Back then I had only ever played offense and defense was a whole new world to me. But with Coach Smidt hard work and practice I was prepared for the first game of the season.