Every athlete always dreams of having that big moment. Hearing the crowd chant your school name as you make memories you will never forget. The moment where they reach one of the highest points in their career, but know it’s not the peak. They spend countless hours in the gym hoping that someday their moment will come. Thoughts run through their head, “Will I be ready when my chance comes?” As the Sutton girl’s basketball team traveled to Fairbury in late January, we had no idea that our chance for this moment would happen.
The score went back and forth the whole game. Nobody in the crowded stands could guess which team would come out on top. The lead switched between Fairbury and Sutton almost every possession. As the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter, we knew the game was far from over. We were trailing Fairbury by two points. I sat on the bench and wiped my sweat off. Looking around, I could see that we were all drained. This battle was the most intense game we had played in awhile. “Kenna do you need a break?” the assistant coach asked. I may have been past the point of exhaustion, but I wasn’t going to…
What are we supposed to do? Five seconds remain on the clock and our point guard decides to improvise and drive to the basket. As the clock winds down to three seconds, she stops suddenly, causing the defender to jump past her. Our point guard launches her last attempt to win the game. The ball sailed through the air. Time stands still as everyone holds their breath. The buzzer sounds just as the ball swishes through the net.
As we jump in the air celebrating our victory, I realize that this is our big moment. The crowd chants our school creating memories we will never forget for the rest of our lives. The intense games, serious bench speeches, and the sound of the buzzer as the ball goes through the net all make one unforgettable big…