Then another emotion set in, this was anger, he had a tendency to get angry
quit easily now a days, especially with finals right around the corner,
volleyball was usually his only escape from the realities of the world. When he
was on that floor, it was as if he was a performer at some elaborate performance
center. He was in a world of his own, but now this had all been taken away from
him. It was if someone had taken away his ability to walk, and his mind
continued to wander. His anger stage only lasted for a few minutes, because his
mind then began to think logically. He began thinking how lucky he was. He
thought about how lucky he was to be able to be given such a wonderful
opportunity in the first place. He asked himself, “How many individuals do I
know that can say that they started in a state championship game.” At this point
he came out of his deep thought, when the trainer twisted his leg in an
extremely uncomfortable manner that brought about a sharp pain to his leg. He
let out a soft whimper just to show the pain that the action had brought forth
to him. Finally he was ready for the news. He asked the trainer, “What do you
think, will I be able to get back in their or what?” The trainers only response
was, “I’m really not sure yet!” It seemed like an eternity for him to be sitting
on that sideline as his team continued play, in what would probably be the most
important match of their lives. See, there was way more riding on this match
than just another state championship. There was also a great deal of pride too.
The volleyball program had never ever lost to the same opponent twice in the
same season. And when the team had lost to this western school earlier in April,
Minnachaug didn’t accept the win graciously. All they did was talk smack and
degrade the defending state champions. All number nine could think about was
getting back in there and continuing his performance. He sat there for what
seemed like an eternity icing his ankle to control the swelling. But the pain
momentarily stopped, the crowd erupted suddenly and it startled him. He looked
up and he saw his team euphoric, they had just won the first game so that meant
that they were only thirty points away from the three-peat and revenge. He
slowly began to stand up, so he could go down to the other side. After every
game the two teams switch sides just as a measure of equality, so no team can
complain about the side they were given. But when he first put his wait on he
right ankle, it gave out and he fell to the ground in pain. It was as if he were
a newborn learning how to walk for the first time, or someone who had been in a
horrible accident and they had to start all over from scratch. He slowly made
his way back up and with the help of the trainer he slowly hobbled over to the
other side. He knew the only chance he would have to get back into the game was
in the third or fourth game if there was one.
He wanted to play so badly; he was willing to do anything. After icing for
another twenty minutes, he looked up at the scoreboard and saw it was only 7-4,
his team leading. He still had some time to recuperate. Using his persuasive
manner he began to badger the trainer trying to convince him that he was ready
to go back in, even though he really wasn’t. The trainer was won over by the
charismatic youth.He said that the only way he would allow the player to return
to the match was if he passed a series of strength and mobility tests. Number
nine knew this would be a problem because he could barely walk, but he was
determined to get back in their, just so he could say he contributed to his
team’s win or loss in this match. The trainer taped up his ankle and he was
ready to begin. The tests were extremely difficult and number nine did all he
could to conceal the pain that he was in so he would get the trainers ok to
return. First he had to start off just by balancing on his right foot. This
seems easy enough but the pain was so excruciating that he couldn’t even put any
weight on it to begin with. Then he had to hop on it and show that he could flex
it by swaying side to side on it the tests went on for about five minutes and
after a lot a suffering and pain the player could only sit and wait for the
trainer to analyze the results. But, much to his satisfaction, he was given the
thumbs up to play just as his team had finished winning the second game. Much to
his chagrin, number nine was not even allowed to start in the third game,
because the coach did not believe it was fair to the other the substitute who
had entered the game earlier.
