“Obstacles Are What You See When You Take Your Eyes Off The Goal.”

“Hurry Natalie GO GO GO!!” she heard her coach scream. Natalie was so worked up she could hardly breath and take another breath and take another breath. She was so tired but yet she put towards her all when she got to the end.
“And the winner is…” The announcer yelled...
She froze them heard her alarm clock go off. Natalie was no longer sleeping she had just been dreaming. She wished it was real. She got up and put on her swimsuit ready to go to early morning practice for her team at 5:00 in the morning before school. Natalie was getting ready for the biggest swim meet of the year coming up. She really needed to work hard if she was going to get that scholarship.
When she got to the pool she was ready to go, the water was cold and she felt so stiff from yesterday's practice but she knew she couldn’t have a day off. The swimming competition was too close.
“Ready to go?” Asked coach Ryan. He had been Natalie’s swim coach for years.
“Let’s go he said 400 Freestyle”
After she was done her coach said
“Natalie that’s the fastest you’ve swam freestyle!”
Natalie had finished in 4 minutes and 5.67 seconds. Her coach was amazed he had never seen this before! out of Natalie anyway.
The next lane over sat the most prideful girl of the other team.
Coach Ryan saw Natalie looking over at her.
  “Don’t worry about Kate, Natalie! You will be fine. I don’t even want you worrying about her right now,  she’s not your problem” said Coach Ryan Angrily. “You’re the best swimmer on the team don’t let Kate make you think otherwise! She is good but not as good as you, I think anyway.” said Coach Ryan.
After practice Natalie went into the locker room.
“Great” Natalie said to herself, Kate’s here.
Kate was the rudest, most prideful girl on the Stingrays. She bragged a lot after every competition and bragged to all the other swimmers that she was the best.
Kate gave Natalie a cold stare.
“Hard swim today Huh?” asked Kate
Natalie didn’t answer.
“Well you better watch out in the next swim meet you know people could sneak right past you and you wouldn’t even know it.” said Kate. and she left smiling her most angry, suspenseful smile.
When Natalie got to school she went to first period. Orchestra. She was so excited to finally get her mind off Kate and swimming but while she was playing she couldn’t. Her mind was still stuck on Kate and Swimming.
After class she went to go talk to Miss Williams her Orchestra teacher about her Violin and how she may not get to practice a lot this week because of so much swimming.
“I just can’t get my mind off the next meet that is coming up. I can’t practice, I can’t sleep, I can’t do homework, and I can barely eat anything without having the need to practice in the pool more. I love playing the Violin but I just don’t know how I can.” said Natalie.
“Natalie, let me tell you something. When I was younger I used to play Soccer and The Cello. We had a huge game coming up just like this one and I was doing the same thing just freaking out. And you know what my coach taught me?. “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” “So I tried to see things a different way and think about things differently.”
“Why don’t you come to my house this week whenever you can and you and I will just practice together OK?”
“Alright.” She said

When Natalie got home her mom asked
“How was school today honey?”
Just before she was about to answer Johnny and JImmy her two twin brothers ran into the room with their airplanes and army guys.
“Excuse Me” said her mother is this the kind of way you treat your sister when she comes home?”
They looked at each other with a questioned look on their face and then ran over to Natalie and gave her a big hug and left before their mom said anything else.
“So,” said Natalie’s mom “How was school today?”
“Okay, I guess?” said Natalie.
“Well what’s wrong?” she asked.
“I can’t do my schoolwork right now! I’m too nervous about state finals, the last swim meet. If I win this meet this could open big doors for me to get a scholarship. I can’t even play my Violin.  Miss Williams said I could go to her house this week to practice but I don’t know how I can?”
“Look” said her Mom. “Don’t worry too much about it you’ll do great I know you will. Don’t take your eyes off the goal. And don’t let Kate get to you…………..” She stops. “Natalie Rene  is this what it’s all about. Don’t you even compare yourself to Kate. Why should you the only thing you need to worry about is doing your best.
I’d never in a long time heard my mom call me by my first and middle name.
“Just……… do your best.” she sighed and left the room without saying another word.
The next morning was just as usual again Natalie went to practice just like normal but this time she was so angry at Kate she made sure that Kate saw her when she was swimming.
After practice Natalie was worn out she left and decided she would shower at home and not in front of Kate again.
When Natalie got to school, Orchestra class was a little better today. Miss Williams paid the most attention to Natalie.
After school Natalie went over to Miss Williams house to practice with her for their big concert coming up. Natalie wasn’t really nervous about the concert she was more focused on her state final swim meet coming up.
“You alright?” Miss Williams asked.
“Yea…… fine.” Natalie hesitated.
The morning of the swim meet came It was a cool Saturday morning in May. The water was cold and fresh. Natalie paid no attention to Kate or any of her comments during this time.
It was Natalie’s first event Butterfly 100m. She got up on the diving board.
“I can do this” she whispered quietly to herself.
Kate was on the next diving board over but Natalie didn’t lay one eye on her.
“Ready?” said the announcer. “Take your mark” and honk the horn went off. Natalie heard the noise and dove into the water. She swam as fast as she could not once looking over at Kate in the next lane. Before she knew it, she was done her hands hit the wall.
“And the winner of the Butterfly 100m is Natalie Oman”
Natalie was happy she felt good and that this day was going to be good. Natalie swam a couple more races and she kept winning in her heat. Finally it came down to the last race the 100m Freestyle she dove into the water she swimmed so fast and she heard the crowd screaming.
“Hurry Natalie GO GO GO!!” she heard her coach scream. Natalie was so worked up she could hardly breath and take another breath and take another breath. She was so tired but yet she put towards her all when she got to the end She kept thinking about what Miss Williams told her.
“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”
Finally Natalie hit the wall...
“And the winner is…” The announcer yelled… NATALIE OMAN. She could not believe it. She had actually tried her hardest. Her coach was so happy. Kate was ticked off. Her mom was overly excited and Natalie was beaming with excitement. Kate then came over to Natalie and said.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so mean to you Natalie. Great Race.”
“Thanks said Natalie it means a lot. You did well too.”
She was so happy and the next night Natalie felt good at her Violin concert she played every note in her solo piece right.
After the concert when they got home the phone rang. Natalie answered.
“Hello?” She said
“Hi” said the speaker on the phone “I’m looking for Natalie Oman,?”
“This is her” Natalie replied.
“OH Natalie I just wanted to tell you that, that swim meet yesterday was amazing and that we would love to give you a scholarship.”
Natalie could not believe it.
“YES SIR THANK YOU SIR”.
“I’ll give you a call later this week” He said. “We are so excited to have you”
“Thank you Sir.”
And Natalie hung up the phone. She was thrilled and she was proud that she did not take her eyes off the goal.