Personal Narrative: How Football Has Changed My Life

Sports have been an integral part of my life for years. For as long as I can remember I have played a sport, be it baseball, volleyball, soccer, or any number of other sports I have dabbled in. I have never been the fastest, strongest, or most talented in any of them, but I have had a passion to play the game. I live for the rush of the wind in my face, or the stress of a close play. There are few things I have invested more of myself into than a game, even games I have not played in. Whole weeks have been ruined because my team lost an important game. I have supported the winner of exactly two major sporting events: Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and The New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

In my own sporting career I would

I made eye contact with the kid 12 yards out. I smiled, trying to get into his head. I bored my eyes into his skull, I had practiced for this moment every practice since september. His penalty kick went left, right where I predicted it to go. I flinched to right, somehow unable to do the exact thing that I knew could save my team, and the game was tied. The whole weight of the game was in my gloves, and I could not handle it. Cortland ramped up the pressure, and for the rest of the game I do not think we had possession for more than a minute. Cortland's fans dominated the stands, and their support controlled the momentum of the game. The game is supposed to be held at a neutral field every year, but you take the same exit on Route 80 to cortland as you do to McGraw, where the final was held. As many of our fans came as they could, but we were vastly outnumbered by the “home” fans. The game dragged on and with it a horrible nagging in my stomach. We hoped to hold out for penalty kicks, but it was too much. With 5 minutes left, my whole world came crashing down. The Cortland winger slipped unmarked past our left back, received the through ball, and slipped the ball into the goal. I can still feel my fingertips on the ball as it slipped past my right side, I can hear the thwick of the net. The rest of the game was a blur. The final whistle blew, and we had