Chapter 6: Hide and Seek
When I was really little I would play games with my grandpa. We would play pool ball, which was basically pool without sticks. We would just roll the balls with our hands and try to knock the balls in. In this early time in my life I would also play cookie in the pocket with my grandpa. In this game he would have a cookie or some type of candy in one of his pockets. I would try and guess which one it was in until I got the treat.
I also like to play soccer. I was on rec teams for about five years, then someone convinced me to try out for a AA soccer team. I made the team named Thunder. It ended up being the worst team in the league, but I was one of the best players on it. I learned a lot that year because I was able to play a lot and in many positions.
The next year I made Lightening which ended up to be one of the best teams in the league. But now I was one of the worst players. I didn't get to play a lot and didn't progress in my skills nearly as fast. We ended up taking 2nd place my first year on their team and beating a team that had won 49 games in a row.
The next year I made their team again. The coach asked me if I was going to be trying out for the Orem High team. If I was then she said she wasn't going to pick me to make the team, so that another team could pick me up that would be able to use me more. They said that they would love to have a player as good as me on the bench, but wanted what was best for me. I thought that was awesome that they cared more about me than putting together a good team. I did not plan on trying out for the school team and enjoy winning so I stayed on Lightning. That year we ended up taking first place in a very interesting tournament.
Some of my most memorable soccer moments include one time when we lost to a team because the referee gave them a goal that didn't go in. Another time we scored a goal and one of the referees called it, but the other two who had been totally favoring the other team said it didn't count.
The best goal I ever scored was when someone kicked the ball and it was going towards the right side of the goal. The goalie was diving to get it and would have, but at the last second I jumped up and headed it right into the left corner perfectly. One time in practice I kicked to score a goal and the goalie dived and blocked it, but did not get a hold of it. Both of us were on the ground because I got knocked down or something. The ball was sitting right in front of me just inches from going in, I pushed myself forward with my hands with all the strength I had, I barely hit the ball with my head and it slowly rolled in and I scored.
My true love though has always been basketball. I was always pretty good, but my coaches never seemed to agree with that. We usually had two really good players and our entire game plan was to get the ball to them. We did pretty good, but I never got a chance to show my stuff, but in ward basketball and just playing with my friends I have had some pretty amazing games and shots. One of the adults from my ward, that I would play against on weeknights, nicknamed me Fling, because somehow I would throw up these circus shots and they would go in.
One game we only had four players show up and the other team had five. We beat them 64-30 and I had about 35 points, I also had a lot of rebounds and steals, that was the best game of my life!
Some of the craziest shots I have made were one time, at my house. The ball was going out of bounds and I was running to save it. I flicked it behind my back to save it, and it rainbowed way up and swooshed right into the basket. Another time playing with my ward I was driving in for a layup and could not cut in. I was sailing out of bounds, as I was behind the hoop I scooped the ball behind me. It went up almost to the ceiling, through several complex poles that connected the hoop the the basket, without hitting them, and then swooshed right into the basket. Fling does it again! Some people say that I am lucky, but they don't seem to understand that I take a lot of those shots and have gotten really good at them.
Other games I like to play are street hockey. We would play on my friends street. I was always good, because like in most games I play, I know how to cherry pick really good. I am like the master at that! I know when to do it and when not to, how to get back and how to make the best of an opportunity. In soccer it was hard because you can't be offsides, but I had a few tricks up my sleeve. But in hockey I think I was the best at it. Most of my friends would be trying to score, and they wouldn't leave much pressure back on defense until our team got the ball and then they would all try and hurry back. If my team got it up to me fast then I had a good chance to score.
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My senior year I played every single intramural sport our high school had to offer. Basketball, ultimate frisbee, bowling, and still tried to play soccer as much as possible. I also helped my friend Ryan be the mascot, which was a tiger. Several of the football games I actually got to be the mascot it was really fun. I loved going to the football games and also some of the basketball games. I have also been a big fan of card and board games. Whenever I go to Arizona to visit my relatives we love playing cards. One of our favorites is hearts, but this isn't your normal game of hearts. We have had 3 decks and over a dozen people playing a single game together. I continued to play sports as much as possible in college. I have had soccer teams go pretty far in the intramural tournaments at BYU. Our flag football teams have never done well, and we always seemed to get put in a division that was way better than our skill level in basketball. One summer we played ultimate almost every single day during the summer. If there is something going on, I want to be there!
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1 comment:
Looks like you enjoy games. You have some great memories.
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