Behind the Game Face

lilah to the rescue

"Move it ladies!" Coach yelled at us from the middle of the field. I felt my heart in my throat as I held my hands above my head.

The sun decided to make an appearance today. The forecast reigning true as not a cloud was in the sky, although it didn't feel like 85 degrees, more like 100 as I watched my partner come back.

Her name was Sophia. She was a little sophomore with a big heart. We were doing pushplates. Each time we reached the next yard, we had to increase it by one ore yard then decrease once we got to the 50 yard line.

It was pure torture. Sure, coach let us play music on the team speaker but with the way we were breathing heavily, we couldn't even hear the music.

Half of the girls were either shirtless, wearing their shirts around their neck or made makeshift crop tops with their sleeves rolled up from this heat. Now me personally, I didn't like showing so much skin so I stuck with a compression short sleeve. It felt so much like a second skin, it was like it wasn't there.

At least that was what I was telling myself.

"Cmon Soph," I yelled out as she reached the 20 yard line. As soon as she reached me, her legs gave out as she fell to the floor and I took her spot. I had to bring it from the 50 yard line back to the goal line.

My thighs burned as we eventually made our way back down and soon enough me and Sophia finished. I collapsed on the floor, chest heaving as I looked at my teammates. Almost everyone was completely done.

Until I looked at the end of the groups. Two freshmen, whose names I haven't quite learned yet weren't done. I watched as the redhead pushed the plate to the goal line and immediately turned and ran to the trash can to throw up.

Her partner, a blonde, got up on shaky legs. It was like she were a newborn deer. Her arms shook as she struggled to push past the ten yard line, then the twenty. The team began to cheer her on, granted very weakly as most of us were on our deathbeds too but we tried.

Then she fell to her knees, once. She got back up. Twice. Got back up. The third time she fell to her knees, she barely made it past the 30 yard line. She had to make it to the 50 and all the way back.

"She so owes me," I murmured to Emma as I limped past her.

As I approached the freshman, I picked her up by her waist and got her back into position. Then I scooted her over and bent down to push with her.

Granted, I was doing most of the work as the freshie was about to pass out. She could barely even use force, I think all her energy was focusing on staying awake.

We hit the 50 yard line and turned around.

I focused on nothing but the plate. I couldn't even focus on the freshman as I used the last bit of my strength to push through till the end. Where my arms lacked, I made up for in pushing my feet hard off the ground. My head was between my arms, not even having the strength to lift my own head up.

I didn't know we made it to the goal line till my team started clapping. I also didn't know we had guests as more applause could be heard from the fence lines as I looked up and saw the football team who just got out of lift. I especially didn't realize the freshman was stuck at the 40 yard line laying on the floor like a rag doll.

"You good?" I asked her as I approached her.

"Mommy?" The girl questioned hazily. She had braces.

"Nah," I laughed dryly. "You wish," With a hand, I helped her stand to her feet, putting her arm around my shoulder as we limped to the huddle.

"Lunch for an hour ladies, then film right after," Coach yelled. "And before we break out, that's the kind of team spirit I'm looking for ladies," He yelled as he punched me in my shoulder.