Moments of Magic

My First Race Went a Little Like This...

The first week of seventh grade went by so fast, I couldn't remember a lot of it. Then second week came, and so did my first cross country practice. Our PE teacher, Coach Eddy, was to be administering the after-school sports practices. He was a very enthusiastic man with a bunch of quirks. On most days, Eddy wore sports clothes, just like any other PE teacher.

"Alright, you guys. This is where we're going to be holding our cross country practices." Eddy announced during our first practice. We were on a grassy soccer field that came with cruddy goalposts.

"First off, before you do any exercising, you must stretch." Eddy instructed as we all did some stretches together. After stretching, Eddy had the newbies accompany him as he did a walk through of the practice trail---literally. After the walk through, Eddy had us run a few laps on the practice trail. Before we knew it, practice was over.

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Our next practice came and went. At the end of the practice session, Eddy began to lecture us.

"Next Tuesday is our first cross country race. You are to come in your cross country uniform that day. We will be leaving school at around 2:00 and we will arrive at around 4:00." He said. Next Tuesday! But we've only had two practices. Great time to start competing, not. I imagined I'd be making a fool of myself next Tuesday.

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The day of our first cross country race came. The school day flew by really fast, and by lunch, the team was in their uniforms, which consisted of a sleeveless long green shirt with a number on it. By 2:00, the team was all ready to head to the site of the first race. When we got there, we found ourselves on a gigantic baseball field. Millions of people have gathered to watch their kids race against thousands of other runners. Coach Eddy huddled us in for one last pep talk.

"Whatever you do, do your best out there." That was all he said. Just then, the referee asked for all the runners to join him on another walk through of the course. After the walk through, he called the fifth and sixth grade girls to the starting line. Two girls, Serena and Anna, made their way to the starting line.

"Get ready, start, go!" The referee announced. The rest of the team gathered on the sidelines to cheer on their teammates as the girls took off. After the last of the runners crossed the finish line, the referee called for the fifth and sixth grade boys to prepare for running. Three guys, Luke, Andy, and Patrick walked over to the starting line. The referee started the race in the same manner.

As the boys began running, I began to get butterflies in my stomach. What if I finished last? Will everyone laugh at me? What will my mom say? I quickly recalled what Coach Eddy had told us right before the walk through. It wouldn't matter to my mom if I tried my best, would it? And before I knew it, it was time for the seventh and eighth grade girls to do their lap.

"On your marks, get set, go!" The referee howled. Immediately after, I blasted off at the speed of light. Within seconds, I was caught within a sea of middle school girls. I then ran up a steep hill and ventured into the woods. The track itself was an uneven terrain with a narrow path. At certain points, I swore I almost tripped. Around this time, I began to feel cramps on my side. My heart was beating so fast, it could burst out of my system. My legs had never felt so sore before, and my stomach felt like it wanted to fall out through my butt.

I came out of the woods and began to walk my way to the finish line. I couldn't bring myself to run any longer. My body had reached its physical limit. Frankly, I didn't even care about my time anymore...or the fact that I was going to finish last.

"Don't give up, Mia! You can do it!" Coach Eddy's cheers resonated with my ears. Suddenly, I had the strength to speed up and like a rocket, I crossed the finish line. Eddy, his assistant Tony, and the rest of the team were cheering as I collapsed onto the warm grass. Tears began to fill my eyes. I had failed. I was a loser.

"You did great, Mia!" Eddy encouraged. It took me a while to get back on my feet. I went to the water cooler to grab a drink as the seventh and eighth grade boys were about to race. I joined the rest of my teammates as the boys took off.

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"I'm a little disappointed in my performance, though, Coach." I said as we were going home.

"Hey, Mia, don't sweat it. You know, I'm really glad you went out of your comfort zone to try something new. And it's your first race. You'll get better." Coach comforted. I guess he was right. Why was I so disappointed in my performance. Of course, no one likes being last. But it was my first race, so I should've shrugged it off much earlier.

And of course, I did get better, but I wasn't the best on the team. That much, I will tell you.

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Author's Note: I'll admit, autobiographies aren't my forte, but I wanted to challenge myself as a writer. And neither are AUs, as you might've thought after reading Star Wars: Sith Rising.

Did you participate in any after-school sports in middle school? How did it go? Let me know in the comments below.