Laura

__Getting Down With the Boys__

I tighten my shoulder pads while trying to put on my cleats. The smell of the locker room is especially horrible today for some reason. I watch as the other girls dressed in field hockey and lacrosse uniforms stare at me, some with jealousy and others with remorse. That’s the thing about being the only girl on the boy’s football team: some girls want to be in your position, while others just think that you’re trying to get attention. I do it cause I simply love the sport and I know that my love for it is never going to change. I run out of the locker room towards the field with my mouth guard dangling out of the grip of my teeth, and my helmet balancing on the top of my head.

Everyone on the field begins to walk into a huddle towards coach. “Big game today,” he says. We all nod with agreement. “I expect you to use every ounce of will that you have, because I’m not gonna lie…this team is pretty tough,” he pauses and makes eye contact with me, “but we’re tougher.” I smile in preparation for my signature cheer. “Alright, let’s go boys!” We all race each other to the positions that we were assigned yesterday. I shove my head into my helmet and wait before putting in my mouth guard. I scope the crowed in search for my parents. They aren’t too thrilled about me playing football due to the amount of injuries that I’ve had on the playing field, but they are always standing on the sidelines, supporting me. Finally my eyes reach their waving hands. I clamp down on the mouth guard and balance on the spikes of my cleats. It’s officially game time.

I’m one of the star runners. My dad says that part of my destiny is to embrace the fact that I’m a major competitor to a cheetah. That’s why coach puts me as running back, because he knows that all of the guys look forward to passing the ball to me. I’m doing pretty well for most of the game, but there’s always that frustrating moment where the ball just seems to slip out of my intimidating grip. But the best part is the excitement of getting a touchdown, feeling the high fives swooping in front of my face.

There’s 23 seconds left in the game and we’re winning by one field goal. It’s the other team’s possession, and they surely have enough time to make one more play. My eyes glue to the jersey that reads, 18. I promise myself that if the balls ever reach his hands, that I’ll be tackling him one second later. I’ve been watching him all game. He’s fast, and he knows it. I scrunch my eyebrow and dig my first three fingers into the soiled field. It all happens so fast. The quarterback bounces on his toes in desperation for an open pass. His eyes freeze on number 18, so I smile because in my mind, I know that there’s no way that the football is going to reach the end zone. The ball lofts in the air towards number 18’s reached out hands. I run faster to keep up. Finally, he catches it and starts running. I have one chance so I take my time before leaping, stretching my entire body in order to reach his short body.

I slam him into the ground. We both lay there for a second before hearing the buzzer cry. It’s over, we win. Bodies tumble over me, cheering my name. I take one last glance at number 18’s angry eyes before high fiving all of my team members. When I take off my helmet I over hear the whispers of the other team. “Wait is she a girl?” “It can’t be.” “Is a girl even aloud to play?” I turn my head while tugging onto my hair tie that’s holding in my bun. I shake my hair, letting the golden locks fall onto my shoulders. Yeah, I’m a girl, and no one is going to stop me from playing my favorite sport.

My sister played football for three years, but she wishes that she could have played more. Due to injuries on the field, my sister, Christina quit football. She says that even though there were a few girls that looked down upon her for playing the sport, she had great friends on her team that always supported her and never debated to give her the ball or not just because she's a girl. Im so proud of her ability to not allow sterio types to affect the way she played something that she truly loved.

Julia: -i really like the anecdote aspect of this, i feel the meaning of the story comes to a much greater level of importance as the reader is able to see the issue and how it relates -maybe you can reflect your own thoughts about the story

Lily - I like how u are telling a story from your sisters perspective, and not just stating details

Bilal -This is a really good story, and it makes a good point, but it's only anecdote -You should add more of the point you're trying to make and why you're using this anecdote

__ George __ you should try and give it a bit more meaning I like the story plot about her life as if she was writing a diary

Daniel I would add how this has impacted her life and how her experience playing on an all boys team has impacted her view of gender.