Not only Jackie Robinson was rookie of the year in 1947 and 1955 World Series champion. He also was an activist for all civil rights athletes even before his fame for baseball. Jackie Robinson is what makes major league baseball how it is today! That is because his actions and bravery when he stormed the major leagues. Jackie Robinson also was a voice for all black athletes in all sports not just baseball.
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.
I met the best football coach I will probably ever have, his name was coach Antwan. I can honestly say he was more than a football coach, he was like a mentor always there for me helping make life and football decisions. That was my best and the funniest season I had, there will never be another coach like him I wish I could play one more season under him. My 2nd season taught me so much more than what I knew, it taught me the meaning of good sportsmanship, being there for your teammates, understanding the game more, and the best part in all knowing what it means to be a family. With coach Antwan I started getting looks from different high schools and private schools wanting me to come play for them, it was such a blessing being able to go through that experience playing Pop Warner football many kids don’t get the opportunity to even suit up to play football I am grateful I got the chance
It was supposed to be a normal league game against the Philomath Warriors. We beat them handily earlier in the season, but that doesn’t mean we repeat that feat easily. As we walked to the field to start our warm-ups, I talked amongst my teammates about game strategies and tactics. That wouldn’t be the talking point after the game though, it would be something a bit more exciting. Our warm ups had already commenced
“Let’s go rams!!” was all you could hear coming in to the locker room, hundreds of family and friends along with recruiters outside anxiously waiting for the number one team in Florida to face the second seat it was a much anticipated game and the moment was finally here. We sat in a circle on our chairs listening to the game plan along with a motivational speech from the coach, I’m sure most of us weren’t even listen we were just dying to get out on the court and for one final time show everyone why we were the number one seat in Florida! Finally, all the talking stops and the time has come to work our way to the court as soon as they say “Your Riviera Rams” we all break out in full sprints out of the locker room on to the court with nothing
Showing grit is a common thing for all people in sports, but one that has really stuck to me was middle school football to now. When seventh grade football started, Coach was looking at kids for certain positions and he said my name first. I instantly perked up ready to get any position on the team, but when he said I was playing second team center I was crushed. I never played on the line before. I was tall and skinny, not big and bulky.
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.
One day five years ago my father asked me if I wanted to be the water boy for the Milton Hershey School football team. I said, “Yes”. So for three years I was the water boy. I once got cleated in the face. I had to sit down for a little, but then I sprang up as fast as a rabbit.
Our new coach worked our butts off, harder than any other 8 man team in the state. This was difficult for all of us but we later learned that hard work really pays off. My team got a new coach my sophomore year. After we missed the playoffs my freshman year, I remember my team being called into my coach’s office.
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.
Payload Specialists Holly Bombardier and Trenton Sage had three objectives: deliver Lunar Energy’s helium-3 drill, set it up, and return home to Earth. Little did they know that their three-month stay on the burgeoning International Lunar Base on the moon would turn indefinite from the destruction of a Chinese government satellite, which caused a chain reaction of debris collisions. The debris field orbiting Earth would prevent their safe return to Earth. They must assume the roles of “Lunarian Astronauts” on the Base and face the insurmountable challenges of surviving, along with the crew, in an extraterrestrial environment. They must help in clearing up the debris and contribute to the prosperity of the Base—their new home.
Any football player could tell you that their career goal is to make it to the league, and that is it. Although, I too share this same goal—I want to take it further than just the league. I have been playing this sport for majority of my life, it has become more then just a sport to me: it has become a way of life. The joy I get when I put on my pads, the rush of adrenaline I received walking on to the field on game day, and just the thrill of the game is enough to make me do this for a lifetime. Realistically, that isn’t possible.
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.
Ever since I was a toddler, I loved sports. Baseball, basketball, it did not matter; I just liked to run. When I was around 4 or 5, I was in the living room watching the Steelers play the Cardinals and saw Santonio Holmes grab a game winning touchdown to win the Superbowl. I was so excited that I jumped up in the air and I told my dad, “Daddy when I grow up I want to play football and I want to score a lot of touchdowns just like 10 does.”
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.
