Beep! Beep! Beep! I jumped out of my dream and into the real world, I hate that alarm clock. Four o’ clock already, I thought. I was a freshman at liberty high and I was getting ready to experience my first two-a-day football practice. “Two-a-day,” the word had been stuck in my head the all week, which meant practice before and after school. I shouldn’t be upset this is my chance to shine, my first real step before what I really wanted, professional football. It is going to take sacrifices and that is what I’m willing to take. After my moment of positive influence I jumped in the shower to get ready. The only problem about high school being my place to shine, it was also my place to turn everything the opposite direction.

“Alright Gentlemen, let’s start our early bird practice. Is everyone ready? “Coach 22Fred chuckled hysterically.

“Yes coach,” the team’s voices groaned.

“Let’s start with ten laps around the field then.” After the coach was done speaking I experienced the here we go again feeling like never before. Football was my favorite sport, but the conditioning part made me want to throw up, literally. I knew these ten laps were only the beginning. My reasoning, I’ve had Coach Fred for a football coach for five years. He was my pop warner coach, the league we all go to before high school. Believe me this guy coached like a high school coach, which was why he decided to follow me into high school. He brought me many important teachings, both mentally and physically. Physically he taught me how to play the game of football and what to do. He taught me individual techniques that allowed me to become the leagues m.v.p. Mentally he preached to me the importance of leadership and to be a special individual, one who does not stoop to down to others expectations. The coach liked me and anticipated me to stick to those characteristics.

“This is dumb,” one of the kids yelled gasping for air.

“It will only you make you stronger. Push it!” I replied back trying to take leadership of the team and keep us from falling apart. After about an hour more of practice it was over. We went into the Locker room, took showers, and headed off to class.

Ring! The bell rang to go to class.
“Alright, coach shouted, go to your first period class.” The door busted open and everyone came out like a safari stampede. I liked class, but there was always one problem on my mind. A group of kids who didn’t like me wanted to beat me up. They knew I was strong, so they would always try and have plans to outnumber me. I’m always staying out of their way because I knew it was wrong to fight. Coach had taught me not to go lower than who you are, go higher. I wasn’t going to let him down until now.

As I approached my class room I was pulled away by the gang of kids.

“So you had football practice today. Was it fun?” The leader of the group sarcastically laughed and gave a giant smirk. He gave a smirk that was so nasty it made the others follow.

“Yeah, was it fun?” A short blonde headed kid squeaked out of the back of the group looking proud as he finally stood out. I glanced at the kid one more time and noticed it was Jimmy. He was my friend that lived on my street. One day we got in an argument and he told me he would never speak to me. Poor Jimmy had fallen, fallen like my coach had taught me not to. As I stepped away from my day dream of figuring out who the fallen kid in the back was, I warped into a fight.

The leader of the group swung a punch at my face and I ducked. As I ducked I threw a jab to his stomach and made him loose air. From behind my old fallen friend tackled me and I was down on the ground.

“Hey!” A stern voice from the distance yelled. I knew that yell anywhere it was my football coach. I looked up and saw the disappointment of a young puppy lost in a pound. He stared at me and looked deep into my eyes. Had I now fallen? Jimmy and I may be rejoiced after all, not the way we thought.