Moments of Magic

Now or Never

"You ready?" Coach Tony asked while I was minding my own business in the fourth grade  homeroom.

"Yeah." I answered. We were awaiting our bus which will take us to the site of the last game of the season. The boys played the previous week, so it was time for the girls to take center stage. Coach Tony locked his eyes onto my drawing, which I've been working on since...forever.

"Did you draw that?"

"Yeah."

"You're really good." Coach Tony then approached the boys that were headed to the game site to cheer us on. I turned to Coach Eddy, who was sitting at the teacher's desk, who said---.

"It's our last game, Mia! Better make it count."

"Yeah. I really hope I make a basket today." I said gloomily, keeping in mind that I never scored a point for the team.

"That really doesn't matter, Mia. What matters is that you're out there helping your team."

---

The minute we reached the game site, the girls broke out into their usual pre-game routine. Coach Tony then assigned positions to some girls and had the rest sit against the wall. For the first half of the game, our team was getting steamrolled. At one point, Leah missed one of her free throws. Leah, missing a free shot? That was almost unheard of. Or maybe my memory's failing me. I don't have the memory on a elephant, to be honest.

Soon, Coach Tony ordered me to take Cathy's spot on the court. I eagerly did what I was told.

"Go, Mia!" The others cheered. The game immediately turned into a frenzy for the ball. I again found myself trapped in a corner by the opposing team. Here we go again.

"Mia! Catch!" Anna, a seventh grader, shouted and tossed the ball to me. I caught it one handed and paused for a minute.

"Shoot!" Serena, another seventh grader, encouraged. I hesitated for a moment and saw that I was close to the basket.

Should I take the shot? Is it worth it? I knew I was desperate to score at least one point for my team, and this game was my last chance. I knew that I was improving on my shots. There was just one problem...I was trapped by the opposing team, and I'd have to make the shot from a really hard angle. Without thinking, I chucked the ball at Serena, who caught it and scored a point for the team. The rest of the girls and boys broke into applause. I took a peek at the scoreboard. Good. Just one point behind.

Eventually, Coach Tony called me out of the game and made Brittany jump back into the action. I rejoined the girls who were sitting against the wall.

"That was a good pass to Serena, Mia." Cathy complimented.

"Thank you!"

I spent the rest of the game watching as our team dominated the court thanks to Leah. Before I knew it, there were only ten seconds left in the game.

"Make the shot!" Anna shrieked.

"Go, team, go!" I followed up. No shots were made in that ten-second squeeze. When the buzzer signaled the end of the game (and the end of the basketball season), everybody on our team cheered. We had an undefeated season. After we congratulated the other team, the girls huddled together and broke out into a cheer. The boys joined, too. The whole moment was a blur.

"Great job, girls!" Coach Eddy yelled.

"We did it! We did it!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Before I knew it, everybody was preparing to leave. I made my way out with Coach Eddy.

"You know, it's kinda disappointing that I didn't score a point all season." I said as I climbed into Coach Eddy's car.

"Hey, that doesn't matter, Mia. What matters is that you helped your team members score victory. And on top of that, great job out there. you've improved so much since December. It's good to try new things, you know. You never know until you try." Coach Eddy answered. He was starting to sound like my mom.

"I guess so. The games were enjoyable."

"It helps to have different hobbies. High schools and colleges are gonna look at that. It's good that you're good at art and all that, but trying something new helps."

"I guess I might've found my new sport." I giggled. Ever since I quit Tae Kwon Do, I've been trying to find a replacement sport. Seems like basketball was my thing, despite the fact that I come from a family of tennis players. I saw Ethan's car pull up. "Coach, I gotta run."

"Bye, Mia."

"May the Force be with you!"

"And may the Force be with you too!"

As I jumped into Ethan's car, I couldn't help feeling like I accomplished something. Of course, I was happy before, but nothing could accurately describe what I was feeling at that very moment. The only way that I could tell how I was feeling was in my artwork. That following weekend, I was able to whip up a masterpiece that originated from my unknowable happiness. Sure, the basketball season was fun, but there was something very exciting to look forward to---the Middle School play!

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Author's Note: Okay, after this, no more basketball stuff. I promise.