Before Bryan became the AD here at St. Mary's, there was only one sport on my mind: basketball. Now, as an 8th grader, Bryan has opened up two new sports for me, soccer and baseball. I never would have thought I would've had so much fun playing these new sports, but I did.
As I look back on the little time I had to play soccer and baseball, I'll always remember all the good times I had with my fellow teammates and coaches.
Last year, my first year of soccer, we were an 0-8 team that hadn't even scored a single goal the entire season. This year, we are a team that has scored 7 goals with a 1-6-1 record. Amazing, what a year can do to a team.
Of course winning isn't everything, it's the memories you acquire along the journey. There were those hard practices where we did nothing but simulate in-game running, but there were also the times where we would just play soccer and have a good time doing it. The whole team has made some funny memories like when Timothy slide tackles and when Justin hit the pole during a game.
I still remember our first win as a team in soccer. I had finally scored my first goal off of a penalty kick that ricocheted off of the goalie's shin guards and into the net. The other team quickly rallied back and scored a goal right back at us. Off of my corner- kick, Tommy walked the ball into the goal and we were up 2-1. After Tommy's goal, we did nothing but play defense, not even trying to score another goal. In the end, we won the game, and were excited for our after party, only to realize that Fudrduckers had been shut down.
Baseball, a sport that's still pretty new to most of us, is a great sport. Although it might be a tough transition from basketball to baseball, it's easy to pick up because of our coaches. Everyone should try to play baseball. Even though baseball begins near the end of our school year, we still have a good 4 months to go before summer begins. It's a lot of fun being out there, learning a new sport, and just being there with friends.
This year, my team went 0-8. Although we didn't do as well as we could've, I had a great time just playing and being out there. Since most of my teammates were either new or just coming back from a one-year hiatus, we couldn't compete with many of the teams. As the season went by, each and everyone of my teammates got better and learned the sport.
In 6th grade, Ronnie, Thanh, and Aaron became our coaches. They did a great job coaching us into the championships twice and bringing home the title once. This year, we had an addition to our coaching staff: Alex. Our coaches continued to teach us ways to play the sport.
In all the years I've played basketball, these past three years have been the most memorable for me. Never would I have thought that we would be able to enter the playoffs 4 times and be in the championships 3 times. Although we didn't make it to the championships this year, it was a great experience for me.
As I graduate from St. Mary's, I'm glad I was able to play all these sports. Playing soccer, baseball, and basketball has given me a foundation to grow as a better player, and hopefully, play in high school too. Without all the sports I've played, I wouldn't be the same person I am today. I'm so grateful for all my coaches, teammates, parents, and everyone who supported us.
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