We are the Champions

"Matt it's time to go" my mom yelled peering around my colorful room. "But I don't want to" I whined as I got dragged into the car, fighting to break free from her tight grip.Today is the day that I would sign up for my first little league season. I had just turned eight and loved basketball. So I decided that I would give little league basketball a try. However, I was scared and nervous. I could feel the thump of frogs beating across my stomach. As we pulled into the parking lot I could smell the sweat of kids working hard. The sound of whistles screeching in my ear. I held on to the car as my mom was struggling to get me out. I didn't want to go. Me and my Mom, and my Dad walked into the REC. Center grasping each others hands. I was shaking and looking down at the floor, as I made my way to the dark and cold bench. When I got called up I was in shock, crying.I wiped the sweat off of my damp face, but it just poured down out of my soaked hair. I was nervous. Really nervous. And the REC. Center was hot. Really hot. I dribbled the ball up the coart, spying cameras flashing and lips moving. The room was buzzing with people. At least five hundred, and they were all making noise. I could barely hear myself think. Unfortunately I didn't know what a layup was yet. What was I going to do, would people laugh at me. When I got to the high hoop, I froze. So I shot the ball, it wasn't a layup,it was a jump shot. Finally I got to sit down. I was very tired and humiliated. All I could do was cover my wet, and snotty face with my hands. So no one would see me cry. My parents waved at me, but I was too busy being embarrassed.

A few days later I met up with my team. The Suns. I was the smallest and I didn't speak a word. Because I am a person with very few words. Or a person with pretty much no words at all. I felt better meeting up with my team because there wasn't any cameras nearby. Just before the season I made a couple of friends. Even though the season hadn't started yet I felt like I had already won the prize. Making friends. Before I knew it the season had begun and we were off to a bad start. Infact we hadn't even won one game yet. 3-0. Later In the season we began playing unselfishly. We were playing real basketball. So we, the Suns started winning some games. This reassured me that I was right about joining little league basketball. After the final game of the regular season, the game that would send us into the playoffs, we had a huge celebration. "The playoffs, the playoffs" we screamed in unison, jumping up and down. But I wasn't going to be there for the championship game. I was going to Portland, Oregon. Even though I was sad to leave, I would get to see my family and have a chance to relax.

The next day I was off to Oregon. We had just boarded the plane when I started to worry about the Suns losing. I sat there, on the plane looking out at the dark blue, misty sky. I felt sleepy as we soared right through a blanket of clouds. I was also thinking about the chance of the Suns winning. Even though it was doubtful. I drifted off into a deep sleep as thoughts went blank and wondering disappeared. I woke up a little while later. We were here, Portland. My Grandma waving in the distance.She drove us to her apartment complex,up the elevator and then into her apartment. I was awaiting the outcome of the game. The game I missed. When our coach hadn't called us as soon as he said I got carried away by defeat. I wouldn't look at anyone during dinner. Their bright faces would just look at me with pity. What was that, the phone was ringing, louder and louder each time. Echoing in my ear. Ring, ring! My mom swiftly answered the ringing phone. Nodding sometimes, and laughing once in awhile. She removed her hands from the pink phone, now holding it with her neck. " You won" she whispered, not wanting to distract my gramparents. My mom got right back on the phone with my coach, seeming not to care, even though I know she did. We had won. I got up from the table without anyone noticing me. Next I jumped around the house in pure joy yelling "We won, we won".