It begins the second you step foot off the bus.
Everyone has their headphones on listening to their favorite pre-game playlist. The freshmen are grabbing the water and other equipment. The whole team is in matching warm-ups, looking game ready.
When you enter the locker room, the intensity changes. We come together as a team. We discuss our plan of attack. We hype each other up. We put on our uniforms with the intention of making our school proud tonight. We are almost ready.
Warm up is important. Its time to get focused. Every pass, every touch, every shot counts. Get the jitters out now because the second that whistle blows, nothing else matters.
Game time.
This is it. This is what you have been preparing all week in practice for. This is what your coaches have been getting you ready for. This is when you get to show your school how hard you've been working. This is when all the extra time and preparation you have put in will finally pay off.
Nothing else matters.
When you step foot on the field, you forget everything that is going on in your life and you just play. You forget about the test that you have been stressing all week about. You forget about the shots you missed during warmup. You forget about the tension that was lingering at practice.
The only thing that matters is the game.
There is no better feeling than standing in your position and hearing the whistle blow. Everything else fades away and it is just you and the goal.