It was six o 'clock at the Friendswood junior high mustang field I was playing strong safety and I had to cover the extra receiver they brought out by the snap I was already beating my man and the next thing I know the ball was sailing my way straight to me. I am 13 years old and I am on the Friendswood junior high C-football team I am a second string slot receiver and starting strong safety
In Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies the theme of entrapment is seen multiple times throughout the book, mainly to represent the authoritarian regime of Trujillo. There are several different types of entrapment in the book but the main three are the discovery of entrapment, physical entrapment and the roles of women holding back the women from fulfilling their destinies. These three point mainly surround Minerva, who can be considered the bravest sister for being the first one to get involved with the revolution, but the other sisters deal with entrapment as well.
On the Friday we moved in to Vail, at our hall meeting, our RA asked who wanted to do a flag football team. Most of us were interested and so our whole hall made a team. The games started in September and continued to October. They were almost every week. We did really well and won a lot more games than most of us thought we would.
When I was 7 years old I went to my first high school game with my mom, the teams that played were Roosevelt and Flower. I will never forget that day Sept 8th at 8PM friday night lights. My older cousin Brett Pierce was the starting Cornerback for flowers, I admired him because he the starting Corner and he was ranked #23 in the Nation for his position. My cousin ended the game with 18 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles that was one of the greatest days of my life. After the game was over I asked my mom could she sign me up to play football, she told me I wasn’t big enough.
On a cold, frosty, snow cover night in November at Welcome Home Stadium, was when my life changed. That night, two teams played for the chance to call themselves champions of 6th-grade football. All game, my team and I battled against the mighty Wilmington Hurricanes. We fought all game to win and finally we got the ball back with less than under a minute left and down by 4 points. The crowd was quieter than a church mouse as my coaches huddled us up during a timeout, and in that timeout, my coaches looked to me for answers.
The Thursday night lights beamed down on me as kickoff approached. It was the last game of the 8th grade football season and the last chance to make my mark on a personally rather ordinary season. We were playing Celina, a team known to be a powerful opponent. I was on the kickoff return team, playing on the far left side of the field and on that particular night we were set to receive the kick. The referee’s whistle pierced the warm and soundless autumn air.
Erik and I first met back in kindergarten playing baseball for the highly recognized Eagles organization. Erik was third base, I played shortstop, and from that point on a friendship was bonded. We both attended Cherry Hills Village Elementary School through 5th grade. Seeing how we shared all the same activities, it was hard not to become friends at such an early age. During the week we would have class, baseball or football practice, and detention.
The start of my freshman year was a thrilling experience for me. To start out my freshman year I made the schools Varsity soccer team, a huge accomplishment for me. However, I was naïve to the coming situation to myself. I was on the path to continuous harassment from teammates as I was surrounded by seniors. Many of the seniors had egos, full of themselves in every aspect possible.
As a little boy I had big dreams of playing football. When I was walking in the halls of the intermediate and middle school and saw the high school football players with their jerseys on, they were like super stars. I looked up to them because I wanted to be like them. The high school football players were popular, they were happy, and they were important to the school. Going to the football games on Friday nights was the highlight of my week.
As a kid, there was nothing better than going outside on a fall evening, as the leaves from trees are falling, becoming empty with football in your hands. I couldn’t live without football. I could remember myself wearing one of the many NFL jerseys I had, going out into my huge yard, and pretended I was out there in front of millions playing the game I loved. Scoring touchdowns, intercepting the quarterback, and being apart of team were the greatest things I looked forward to. But as my flag football and YSF career ended, I wanted a change.
Basketball It was my senior year, and I was about to play my last game of high school basketball. My adrenaline was rising as I was listening to some rap songs. I was ready to play, but I was upset that this would be my last high school game. I was hyped up and ready for warm ups. We came out of the locker room, and I was the first in line for lay-ups.
Adrenaline pulsing through my body and anxiety filling up in my stomach, I quickly throw on my football gear and head out to the practice field. It’s a nice hot day in Ocala, Florida, with the sun beating down on our necks, we stand side by side in line waiting to be picked to play second, third, or fourth string in a play. Waiting in anticipation, each of us grinding our teeth, watching first string pure athletes colliding against each other like gladiators to have possession of a ball made at one-time of “pig’s skin”. To some people, the game of American football makes no sense, whether it’s the idea of trying to protect a ball or running and passing it to make a goal for your team. People like this, see the concept of football and understand why millions of people love it; but to them the sport is pointless and causes way too many casualties.
A few days later, the teams met up with the coaches. There were about 10-13 people on each team, and all of mixed grades from grade 6-8. I didn't really know anyone that well, so I just sat and listened as the coach talked and congratulated all of us for making competitive. Then we started practices that week, and the skill level to me was different then I had imagined from my earlier years of playing. the drills were much harder than I was used too, and I got very confused easily for what I was supposed to do.
The first time on a football field and i was very hyped about it cause i got to play and the coach put me as starter because i was the biggest one on the field. The very first play we got sacked but are left lineman didn't stop the ball they got pushed over and we got sacked. The ball was on the 25 yard line and we were trying to get to the fifteen yard line to get the first down and we were short 10 yards but we could still get cause if we work hard you play hard.
The day had finally come. The day that I could so everyone what I can do. But if I mess up then hundreds of people would see. Then we arrived at the football field, as I stepped off of the bus, my body filled with excitement to finally be one of the stiles cheerleaders. My friends and I ran onto the field and looked up to see the huge stadium.
