David
F
September
19th, 2012
English
1A
Professor
Rogers
Track and Field
Today was the big day. After months of preparation, the
day came to put my abilities to the test. The crowd around the pit was small
but to me it was like the entire world was watching. I ran down the track and
took my leap, hoping I didn’t step over the line. I extended my arms and legs
as far as I could and landed in the pit. This was my last jump due to grades at
school and it’s a moment I will never forget. During P.E. at my junior high
there is one unit which every teacher does. This unit is track and field. I was
one of the students who weren’t really interested in it but I always wanted to
try my best. We progressed through the various events such as the 100m Dash,
shot-put, long jump etc. To my surprise I had been getting first place in every
event. My teacher recommended for me to join the track team which I didn’t
really want to do. My first practice was really nerve-wracking. I didn’t know
what to do or how to do it. Everything was normal until we got to the jumping
portion of practice. Marks were set on the track to give the jumpers an idea
from where to jump. When my turn came up I chose the closest line to the pit
which turned out to be too close. After my second jump I landed in the pit,
unable to take my final jump. My coach, Ms. Hogan, looked at me in a daze and
exclaimed “WOW”. I was puzzled by this, unknowing of her excitement. My next
jump was on the farthest line but I still managed to not have enough room. Once
again my coach was amazed by the performance. She made another line even
further back than the last one in order to give me more room for the jump. After
many practices came my first meet. The air smelled different that day and it
seemed as though everyone was watching me. I was set to do the 100 meter dash, 4 x 100
meter relay, long jump and triple jump. Waiting in line to run the 100 meter
was like waiting to speak in front of thousands of people. My heart sunk, I
could feel butterflies in my stomach and my legs were feeling weak. My turn
came to get situated on the blocks in order to start the race. The next thing I
heard was the announcer “On your mark, Get Set, GO”. I jumped off the blocks,
the wind blowing across my face. Although I didn’t win, the race was the most
exhilarating thing I did to that point. There were many meets throughout the
year with one final meet called the YCAL at the end of the year. Schools from
around Yolo County would get together to compete with one another to prove
their dominance. Holmes Junior High, my school, ended up getting second and I
received no first place finishes in any of my events. 8th grade came
along and we were determined to beat Lee Middle school, the ones who beat us
the previous year. Competition was fierce and no one knew who was in the lead.
Although I was a good jumper, I was never able to get first place. Frustration
built inside and I hoped to get a gold medal which is only given in the final
meet. The final event which is the 4 x 400 came along and I was ashamed because
I didn’t achieve my goal of getting gold in a jumping event. My first gold
medal came from this event and we beat lee to get first place at the meet. 9th
grade came long and with it grew the competition. We were now competing against
a much bigger area than before. My long jump grew to one of the best in the
track team and for the first time I started getting first place in the event.
Things were different than before. I no longer felt like everyone was watching
me. People cheered me one when it was my turn to jump, I felt much more
comfortable than before. Actually being good at something was a relief. Up into
this point I didn’t standout much. For the first time people were noticing me
more and I didn’t know what to do. Training for the final meet was top priority
for everyone on the team. We had no breaks before meets. It was just train, train
and train. Our coach said these meets were only warm-ups for the final meet. He
was right, it would have been nice to take a break but that would mean one less
day before every meet to get better. When the time came for the final meet we
got our first rest period. It did wonders to get that when we were so used to
no breaks. My body felt like brand new and I was ready to get my first gold
medal in long jump. We were all nervous because our best jumps were only a few
inches of each other which meant anyone could take the gold medal. After
finally arriving we all got situated and signed into our respective events. When
it was time for the long jump tension was high everyone could feel it. We all
knew everyone was watching each other. Coaches, spectators and jumpers were all
crowded around to see how everyone did on their first try and see what score
they had to beat. This had to be the most nerve-wracking thing because you only
get three tries. The second jump was no better than the first. I checked and saw
I was behind by a little bit so I couldn’t mess up. I lined up on the line I
made for myself and set off on my stride. As I got closer my heart started
pounding faster and faster. All the training would be for this moment to prove
I was capable. The spotters say how far one jumped out loud while measuring it
which didn’t help anything. I heard the spotter announce “18 feet 9 inches”
which put me in the lead. I had no words at all. My jumping coach couldn’t
leave his station so I immediately ran to him to tell him the news. Although it
wasn’t my last jump it was still my personal best. He couldn’t have been any
happier. My last jump came, the one to seal the deal. That was before asking
the spotter who was behind me. The second place guy was only 1.25 inches behind
me. The stakes were high and I had to do everything to try and gain my lead. I
went for my final jump but while landing I heard the spotter say “scratch”
which meant I crossed the line. I was devastated. They were kind enough to show
me I scratched by 1 inch. “What if I lost because of this scratch?” I thought
to myself. The spotter measured it for me even though it wouldn’t count as a
legal jump. He read “19 Feet 6 inches” and my heart sunk. I immediately asked
if anyone was ahead of me and they replied with a “no”. My second question was
to ask if there was anyone left which he answered “yes, but I don’t think he is
going to show up”. At that moment I knew I had won my first gold medal at the
biggest track meet of the year.
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