Personal Narrative: The Tournament Team

Words: 518
Pages: 3

I am very blessed to have grown up with a loving family that provided all the support a kid could ever want. But even so sometimes family support isn’t all you need to learn and grow. I can remember a series of events so vividly that it seems like it just happened yesterday. To some my story may seem trivial, but it really challenged a strong belief that I had and had a profound impact on me. For as long as I can remember, my parents have always told me that I could do whatever I put my mind to. As a kid, I always believed them, but as I got older, my belief started to fade. I was already 12 years old and playing little league baseball and was offered a tryout for the tournament team. It was my first opportunity to see how I stacked up against the other kids. …show more content…
After the tryout the coach told me I didn’t make the team. The coach’s tone was a bit demeaning and made me feel as though I was inferior to the others., but then the coach asked me if I would be willing to be a substitute player in case someone was hurt and couldn’t play. He said I would have to come to a few practices and be ready to play if he needed me, but that I couldn’t be on the formal roster. I gladly accepted, I went to every practice and every game even though I wasn’t allowed to sit with the team, or dress in uniform. I worked hard for weeks and really put my determination first, my mind was fully into baseball. Finally my day arrived, the last game of the tournament series several kids were sick and the coach asked me to come dressed and ready. That day I started in the outfield and also played second base. I played one of the best games of my life that day. We didn’t win, but it was apparent to many that I performed very well. As I proudly walked off the field, the coach approached me to congratulate me for how I played, then surprisingly, asked me if I would join his newly forming fall and spring federation travel team. He told me he had made a mistake about me and that he was really