My Football Experience
By Brother Dominick Brown
I am just entering the 7th grade which means I am able to try out for my school’s football team. A lot of people know that football is what I want to do all through high school. Then hopefully, I would like to get a scholarship for college and from their go on to play in the NFL. But most people look at me and think I would probably have a low chance of making the team because of how skinny I am for a 12-year-old boy.
When the last day of tryouts comes around, I am feeling very confident; I know I did great on the last day. I go home excited and nervous at the same time, waiting to find out the next day if I made the team. The next day the first thing I did when I got to school was go and check the roster along with one of my other friends who also was trying out. I get down there and read through some names and the fourth name at the top of the list was my name – I was so happy and excited and couldn’t wait till the end of the day to start practice.
The next day I tell most of the church members that I made the team. This caught a lot of them by surprise, especially when I told them I was going out for wide receiver. Most of them wondered how I made the team because I am a 78 pound, 4’11 1/5 inch 12-year-old so it wasn’t like they picked me because I’m big or anything like that. Eventually, I’m starting to wonder why the coaches picked me.
The next day I go and ask the coach why he picked me and he told me that the first thing he was really looking for were people who were working hard and showing that they would want to be a part of the team and would be able to adjust to a different position if needed. He said I was one of the fastest guys trying out and he thought I would be a pretty good addition to the team. But the last and most important thing was that he was looking for guys who would not give up – guys who could mess up but fix their mistake very easily. So yes, he knew I was small, but I showed all the things he was looking for and he said I gave one hundred ten percent all four of those days at tryouts.
So basically what I’m saying is it doesn’t matter how small you are, but it’s about your character and who you are on the inside. And my mom is always telling me I can do almost anything as long I put my mind to it and if I’m serious about, it I will find out what I need to do to get to that point.