We have worked so hard for this all year. We have grown as a team and as individuals. We finally made it to nationals. We hear our team get called to the stage. We freak out hearing that we have made it to the final four. We wait, the silence is deafening. You could hear a pin drop in the back of the auditorium. They announce the second runner-up and it is not your team that was called…everyone holds their breath. You could feel your heart beating out of your chest. You wait for what feels like forever. They begin to announce the national champion and your heart drops. You think there is no way that it could be your team. The announcer plays with you, taunting the teams who anxiously await the results. This is the moment you have been waiting for. Everything has led up to this. You watched your sister win so many national titles, but it’s now your turn. The announcer finally speaks up. You won. You did it. You scream. You cry. All your hard work pays off. You take the picture with tears in your eyes. You hug your team, you are so proud that you won. You walk off stage feeling the high of your win. You look to the parents who are proudly taking photos. You smile and relish in your accomplishments. You look to your coach to share your joy in your win. She can’t look at you. She looks mad. You are confused about why she seems upset. You worked so hard and she can’t even look at you. You stop celebrating because she is upset. She wasn’t happy with your performance and you did not deserve it. You go back to the hotel room confused and distraught. You want to be happy, but all you think of is the disappointed face of your coach.
