Notes

I felt like I might never be able to move again. My hand was swollen and I could barely move my shoulder or the rest of my arm. It took me a full 40 minutes to get my pads off. I had just played in a football game in 30 degree weather with lots of wind and freezing rain. We ended up losing the game and my friend Jack had to be taken off the field in an ambulance after he got hit in the head when making a tackle. This was by far one of the hardest games that I had ever played in because of the weather and the bumps and bruises that I had to play through. When I came off the field, the only parts of me that I could feel were the parts that hurt, but I couldn't have been happier.Although to some people the idea of barely being able to move may not sound like a good thing, to me it was. Until this game, I had never really felt the intense feeling of satisfaction that you get when you really try your hardest and go all out to accomplish something. In other games that were not as physical, I always came out of the game thinking that I could have played harder or done more to help my team. In this game, I didn't hesitate to hit the people I needed to hit or to take the risks that are essential for success. I played as if this game were my last game, because I realized that eventually I will play a last game. It felt so good to be that exhausted because I knew for a fact that I really did try my best. Now, whenever I come out of a game and can barely move, I feel a huge amount of satisfaction because I know that it means that I gave it my all.