Growing up, the biggest sport in my life was baseball. I had played it since I could remember and I never really thought of playing another sport during the Spring season. I loved baseball and going out on a weekend morning to warm up for that afternoon's game, it couldn't get much better. Through my sophomore year of high school, baseball was my sport. I always looked forward to it and couldn't wait for the games. Then came junior year. This is the year that changed a bit. The coach decided I wasn't a right fit for the team anymore so I was cut. Devastated with what had happened, my mom made a suggestion.

"Why not try out for lacrosse?" Lacrosse...hmmm...I had never thought about lacrosse before, I had always been used to baseball and that was the focus. But, since baseball was no longer there, I decided why not? Might as well give it a try, right? So the next day, I went to talk to the coach about having a late tryout. Hoping for the best but expecting the worst, I walked up to him. He was very reluctant about the whole thing, not sure if he should allow me to try out late or not and because I had never played before. I mean, can you blame him? Finally, he agreed to let me try out the next day. Excited and ready to go, I went out and got some equipment.

I couldn't sleep that night. I was excited and nervous, not knowing what to expect. The next morning came and I headed to tryout. Luckily, some of the guys that had been playing for years helped me out and taught me tricks to help me pick up the basics. I'm not sure I did all that well, but the coach must've saw something in me, I made the team! I couldn't believe it, having gone from getting cut from a sport that I had always played, to making the team for a sport I had never played before, what was going on?

I'm not sure the coach really knew how great it was for me to make the team. I was so upset and devastated about getting cut from baseball and making the lacrosse team really lifted my spirits. I worked as hard as I could to get better, I knew I had a lot to gain and work on. Day by day I kept getting better and before I knew it, I was scoring goals and playing for the varsity team before the end of the season.

I was given a great opportunity to play a sport that I now love and watch often. It's more than just a sport to me though. It was a second chance, a chance to show that I could rebound from a rough spot and not be too phased by it. I can't thank the coach enough for believing in me and even pushing me to play in college, even though I decided not to play in college. My coach and my teammates became family. I felt welcome where I wasn't sure I would be welcome at first and I can't repay them enough. Lacrosse will always be more than a sport to me and all I have to say is, if you are given a second chance to do something again or do something different, don't pass it up or you just might miss something real special.