Running The Miles

Chapter 6

        Practices are one right after the other. I barely have time to run to the college downtown, causing me to always be about fifteen minutes late. After school, I'd go to the stadium, practice for about two hours, and then I would have to immediately pack my things, the team and my coach staring after me, and I have to sprint from the field, the guys still packing. 

        Taking thirty minutes to run nonstop to the other field, with all of my equipment on my back, takes a tole on my legs and shoulders. By the time I rwach the field, I'm absolutely, and completely exhausted. 

        On the first day of going to the college, I was panting and sweating when I joined the team on the field, who were all already doing their beginning drills. Dressed to play with my helmet on like the rest, I jogged to the middle of the field to join the group, a little embarrased being late, also being the only girl, and also being the youngest person there. 

        I was about to start the warmup with the rest of the group, when the coach stopped everyone with a loud blow of his whistle, and we all stared at him. I noticed that the other coach, Mitchel, wasn't there. Maybe he was the assisstant coach for special occassions. 

        "Alright everyone, like I told you yesterday, we have a new member to the football team," said Roger, resulting in the eyes that stared at me. "And she will be playing with us for the rest of the season." I guess some didn't know from the eyes that bulged out of their sockets, some look annoyed, some looked confused, and some didn't look bothered. "Everyone, this is Nicole, Nicole, this is..." He introduced me to every single player, which luckily only took a minute. 

        Right after, we began our drills where they left off. It felt as if I had to prove myself all over again. So far, the possible outcomes are that I either impress them, I'm just like them in skill, I'm just below them, or I absolutely suck compared to them. No matter what, they'll lnow sooner or later. 

        After warm-ups, -this was their first practice of the season- we weant to the goal posts to kick field goals. I intentionally went to the back of the line, just to see how everyone did on this team. The first to go made the ten yard kick, then the twenty-yard, then the thirty, and forty, but missed the fifty. When the rest went, I realized that the first one was the only one to make it to the forty-yard kick, the rest made it to either forty or fifty. 

        Then it was my turn. When everyone had had their share of kicking their goals, they went to the side to watch the remaining people, so, all eyes were on me, great. To start out, I walked to the first ball, which was set up on the stake at the ten yards, and I positioned myself to kick. 

        I charged it, I swung my foot, and I waited for the ball to fly, to see where it went, to see if it'd made it. I felt the hard impact on my foot, and then I saw the brown ball flip through the air, towards the goal. It went six feet above the opening, higher than anyone else's went. I didn't look at the group, for fear they'd be distracting. The same thing happened with the twenty, then the thirty, the forty, the fifty, the sixty, each going a little lower, but still making it. When I made it to the seventy yard kick, The ball was so close to making it, it banged off of the bottom pole, an inch from going through. 

        When I finally finished, I looked up at the group to join them, and they were looking at me with acceptance. Not awe, but acceptance. Did they expect me to be so good that they weren't surprised? Are they happy to have a girl? I don't know, but I'm contempt with the results. 

        Throughout the rest of the practice, I pushed the most, and heaviest weights, I did the most pushups, ran the fastest and the longest, everything checked. I could throw farther, most accurate, I'm not trying to brag, but I. was. on. fiiire. 

        At the end of practice, I packed my, things, the guys patting me on the helmet as they left, and I left the stadium, running for home before it went dark. 

        Yes, I am a part of two teams, but my fellow peers of my highschool football team will always be my first priority.