I never considered myself able to be an athlete. Until the age of twelve I was covered in baby fat and the title "four eyes" circled around my head entering my ears, trapping my mind in a "jail of nerdiness". To avoid being hurt I hid myself in shadows reading away the hours and dreaming, of entering a stadium with cheering fans roaring, "Kaiko!" The guys bellowed and the girls screamed. Like waves crashing against rock cliffs on a stormy dawn their excitement surged into me, lending me wings of flame. I would run onto the field in glorious splendor but as I reached the grass my legs would freeze. The crowd would turn into popular kids laughing and jeering at my glasses and athletic inabilities. I would try to run but my body would not listen. I was subjected to personal torcher unable to hide. My dream of success dissolved into a nightmare. Despite torments from my peers I was and still am determined to be successful and win the game of life. In the summer after fifth grade I learned of my savior from being a social pariah, "contact lenses". With this magical wonder and the benefits of puberty, I climbed the social ladder. As I grew hair my pudginess disappeared and my muscles toned. I always was taller than most but soon I grew to be a giant among ants. My dad had me do push-ups and I joined the swim team to get in shape. When my body developed and my social level rose I found it hard to keep up with school. Soon girls absorbed me and they took up the entirety of my thirteen year old life. I had not time for homework but even at this point in my life I still found a love for reading and used fantasy to escape from my problems. After seeing my sister go to college I realized the need for education and I sat in attention in every class. My love for girls and books helped me survive the hardships of life when my academics proved troublesome. I absorbed topics and techniques like a sponge soaking up the soap of knowledge. Swimming toned my skin and robed me in lean muscles. I hated the sport but it changed my life for the better. After placing amongst the top three kids in my first swim meet, my dad introduced me to water polo and my life changed forever. Coach Ken: "Okay guys this is it. Everything you ever worked for is for this, this moment right now. Iolani is going to be quick but you have to be quicker, smarter, and stronger to win. Boys, at 211 degrees water is hot, at 212 degrees water boils. That extra degree wins games, that extra degree wins glory, that extra degree makes legends. Are you going to be hot? Or boiling?" Everyone on the team: "Boiling!" Coach Ken: "Let's get out there and show Iolani that when you mess with the dragon you get a mouthful of fire!" Coach Al: "No pressure." All seven starters including our goalie jump into the pool. The water chills my flesh threatening to make me lose my built up anger. I don't let a little cold stop me; I heat the water around me with my urine. My muscles relax as I imagine the pee circling round me like the fire of a comet. We all line up on our side of the pool as Iolani does the same on the opposite side. We lay our heads against the lane line to show that we are ready, which is customary. The ref checks both teams to see if anyone is cheating and "Beep!!" blows the whistle. Sam our sprinter slides his head gracefully into the water. He soon erupts from the water creating a froth of white water behind him. The Iolani sprinter is fast but Sam is faster. Sam reaches the ball in the middle of the pool seconds before the Iolani sprinter and the game was on. I swim down the middle all the way to the two-meter line by the Iolani goal. I dig my shoulder into the Iolani Set guard's chest and drive him back while pulling his hips down. I gain position and call for the ball, "four-five side!" I yell. The four-five side is the side of the pool in which I had gained inside water. The ball is slowly passed around the pool but I hold. The Iolani guard tries to get around me twisting and turning like a slippery eel but I hold his wrist with the grip of a gorilla. Occasionally in frustration he knees me in the back but I don't flinch. Showing weakness could reward me with a foul but it also gives the defender hope that I don't want him to have. I see the ball come into Ward, a junior lefty. I spin delivering an uppercut into the guard's armpit with my shoulder forcing him to hesitate. Ward passes the ball into me right on time, I scoop the ball into my right hand, and my entire arm glides across the top of the water. As my arm reaches peak velocity I let the ball go and deliver a sweep shot perfectly. A good start, I think to myself. Iolani gains possession of the ball because we had scored. They line up facing us I gaze into the eyes of the player I am about to defend reading him for weaknesses. I glare hoping to scare him and I see his body tremble slightly. The ref blows the whistle and I charge the player with the ball. Scared, the player ducks his head and drops the ball taking the foul. I back off and swim back to help out the set guard. Our team presses the offenders, perfectly shutting down any passes. The player that I had fouled holds the ball, seemingly lost with no open people to pass too. Finally one of the Iolani players drives, taking a defender with him. At the last second the offender turns back, open for the pass. The player I fouled sighs in relief and passes the ball. In the time wasted by the foul the shot clock had rundown and the Iolani offender who had just received the ball threw a hasty shot. Ethan Lewis, our goalie, knocks the ball down with ease, "Yeah! Ethan!" I cheer. We gain possession and start our counter attack with fire in our bellies. The game runs on in similar fashion as I score another shot the play later. The Iolani defense decides that I am too dangerous and they put an extra defender on me for the remainder of the game, leaving one of my teammates open every play. A costly mistake, again and again our outside shooters take shots on the goalie few miss and six go in. We quickly reach the five-minute mark of the fourth and final quarter. I look at our team and the game rewound itself in my head; Sam had scoured four shots, three from the outside and one on a counter attack. The score was now eight to zero, so far Iolani's offense had failed time and time again and their defense had not faired much better. Coach Ken calls a time out. Coach Ken: "Really really good work guys, but don't hold back. Finish it and we will celebrate tonight!" Coach Al, "It's just like basketball; everyone is tired but if you keep on maneuvering and stay sharp you can do this." Throughout my career on the varsity one water polo team I had noticed that Coach Al always made basketball references, even when they did not apply to the situation. The ref blows the shrieking whistle and calls us back to the pool. We all line up; Iolani still has the ball because they had not scored. My heart thuds and my eyes glaze over with blood lust. I blow water into the faces of my rivals getting my heart rate back up with reserved anger and energy. The whistle goes off and the play starts. I immediately press my man; I put my hand against his chest and slowly push him out of the play. I look around to see if our set guard needs help. As I look back I notice an Iolani player swimming straight for the goal with no blue-capped Punahou defender on him. I hurriedly look around and see Liam staring at a pretty girl. "Liam, that's your man!" I yell at him while pointing to the open offender. He realizes his folly and giving up he says back: "Sorry but we win anyway." Anger surges in my inner self-erupting like a volcano of anger and pride giving me wings. I think to myself, "I don't want to win I must annihilate this game." I sprint for the Iolani player as he receives the ball; he takes his time, oblivious to me, coming up behind him. I reach him just as he releases the ball and I sweep up with my leading hand slap the ball backwards and into Sam's lap. I turn around to face the Iolani goal, carrying my momentum with me. Sam and I sprint down to the other side racing each other to the goal. An Iolani defender is waiting for us, he charges Sam and I call to Sam to pass the ball. "Sam!" I yell as the defender draws closer. Sam stays calm drawing the defender to him and at the last second he throws the ball to me. Time slows; hours replace seconds as the ball hurtles toward me. I take one last kick into the air and meet the ball with my outstretched hand. My arm is already wound up so I whip my arm and wrist forward releasing the ball with optimal backspin. The buzzer rings and at this moment time goes into fast-forward. The ball charges through the wielding universe and hits the back of the cage with a thud and a swish. The ball hits the corner of the cage slamming against both bars and slides down the net. I climb out of the pool seabirds soaring in my stomach with joy. We all congratulate each other with hearty smiles. My life of fear and prosecution flashes before my eyes for the last time as my pain dissolves and becomes something greater. Pride in myself is born in the pit of my heart a feeling that has never been evident in my body before. I now know that I have fulfilled my goal and the jeering kids are now cheering fans. We circle around on the pool deck and with the crowd hitting our cliff of victory we roar, "Punahou!" as one.
I never considered myself able to be an athlete. Until the age of twelve I was covered in baby fat and the title "four eyes" circled around my head entering my ears, trapping my mind in a "jail of nerdiness". To avoid being hurt I hid myself in shadows reading away the hours and dreaming, of entering a stadium with cheering fans roaring, "Kaiko!" The guys bellowed and the girls screamed. Like waves crashing against rock cliffs on a stormy dawn their excitement surged into me, lending me wings of flame. I would run onto the field in glorious splendor but as I reached the grass my legs would freeze. The crowd would turn into popular kids laughing and jeering at my glasses and athletic inabilities. I would try to run but my body would not listen. I was subjected to personal torcher unable to hide. My dream of success dissolved into a nightmare. Despite torments from my peers I was and still am determined to be successful and win the game of life. In the summer after fifth grade I learned of my savior from being a social pariah, "contact lenses". With this magical wonder and the benefits of puberty, I climbed the social ladder. As I grew hair my pudginess disappeared and my muscles toned. I always was taller than most but soon I grew to be a giant among ants. My dad had me do push-ups and I joined the swim team to get in shape. When my body developed and my social level rose I found it hard to keep up with school. Soon girls absorbed me and they took up the entirety of my thirteen year old life. I had not time for homework but even at this point in my life I still found a love for reading and used fantasy to escape from my problems. After seeing my sister go to college I realized the need for education and I sat in attention in every class. My love for girls and books helped me survive the hardships of life when my academics proved troublesome. I absorbed topics and techniques like a sponge soaking up the soap of knowledge. Swimming toned my skin and robed me in lean muscles. I hated the sport but it changed my life for the better. After placing amongst the top three kids in my first swim meet, my dad introduced me to water polo and my life changed forever.
Coach Ken: "Okay guys this is it. Everything you ever worked for is for this, this moment right now. Iolani is going to be quick but you have to be quicker, smarter, and stronger to win. Boys, at 211 degrees water is hot, at 212 degrees water boils. That extra degree wins games, that extra degree wins glory, that extra degree makes legends. Are you going to be hot? Or boiling?"
Everyone on the team: "Boiling!"
Coach Ken: "Let's get out there and show Iolani that when you mess with the dragon you get a mouthful of fire!"
Coach Al: "No pressure."
All seven starters including our goalie jump into the pool. The water chills my flesh threatening to make me lose my built up anger. I don't let a little cold stop me; I heat the water around me with my urine. My muscles relax as I imagine the pee circling round me like the fire of a comet. We all line up on our side of the pool as Iolani does the same on the opposite side. We lay our heads against the lane line to show that we are ready, which is customary. The ref checks both teams to see if anyone is cheating and "Beep!!" blows the whistle. Sam our sprinter slides his head gracefully into the water. He soon erupts from the water creating a froth of white water behind him. The Iolani sprinter is fast but Sam is faster. Sam reaches the ball in the middle of the pool seconds before the Iolani sprinter and the game was on.
I swim down the middle all the way to the two-meter line by the Iolani goal. I dig my shoulder into the Iolani Set guard's chest and drive him back while pulling his hips down. I gain position and call for the ball, "four-five side!" I yell. The four-five side is the side of the pool in which I had gained inside water. The ball is slowly passed around the pool but I hold. The Iolani guard tries to get around me twisting and turning like a slippery eel but I hold his wrist with the grip of a gorilla. Occasionally in frustration he knees me in the back but I don't flinch. Showing weakness could reward me with a foul but it also gives the defender hope that I don't want him to have. I see the ball come into Ward, a junior lefty. I spin delivering an uppercut into the guard's armpit with my shoulder forcing him to hesitate. Ward passes the ball into me right on time, I scoop the ball into my right hand, and my entire arm glides across the top of the water. As my arm reaches peak velocity I let the ball go and deliver a sweep shot perfectly. A good start, I think to myself.
Iolani gains possession of the ball because we had scored. They line up facing us I gaze into the eyes of the player I am about to defend reading him for weaknesses. I glare hoping to scare him and I see his body tremble slightly. The ref blows the whistle and I charge the player with the ball. Scared, the player ducks his head and drops the ball taking the foul. I back off and swim back to help out the set guard. Our team presses the offenders, perfectly shutting down any passes. The player that I had fouled holds the ball, seemingly lost with no open people to pass too. Finally one of the Iolani players drives, taking a defender with him. At the last second the offender turns back, open for the pass. The player I fouled sighs in relief and passes the ball. In the time wasted by the foul the shot clock had rundown and the Iolani offender who had just received the ball threw a hasty shot. Ethan Lewis, our goalie, knocks the ball down with ease, "Yeah! Ethan!" I cheer. We gain possession and start our counter attack with fire in our bellies.
The game runs on in similar fashion as I score another shot the play later. The Iolani defense decides that I am too dangerous and they put an extra defender on me for the remainder of the game, leaving one of my teammates open every play. A costly mistake, again and again our outside shooters take shots on the goalie few miss and six go in. We quickly reach the five-minute mark of the fourth and final quarter. I look at our team and the game rewound itself in my head; Sam had scoured four shots, three from the outside and one on a counter attack. The score was now eight to zero, so far Iolani's offense had failed time and time again and their defense had not faired much better. Coach Ken calls a time out.
Coach Ken: "Really really good work guys, but don't hold back. Finish it and we will celebrate tonight!"
Coach Al, "It's just like basketball; everyone is tired but if you keep on maneuvering and stay sharp you can do this."
Throughout my career on the varsity one water polo team I had noticed that Coach Al always made basketball references, even when they did not apply to the situation.
The ref blows the shrieking whistle and calls us back to the pool. We all line up; Iolani still has the ball because they had not scored. My heart thuds and my eyes glaze over with blood lust. I blow water into the faces of my rivals getting my heart rate back up with reserved anger and energy. The whistle goes off and the play starts. I immediately press my man; I put my hand against his chest and slowly push him out of the play. I look around to see if our set guard needs help. As I look back I notice an Iolani player swimming straight for the goal with no blue-capped Punahou defender on him. I hurriedly look around and see Liam staring at a pretty girl. "Liam, that's your man!" I yell at him while pointing to the open offender. He realizes his folly and giving up he says back: "Sorry but we win anyway." Anger surges in my inner self-erupting like a volcano of anger and pride giving me wings. I think to myself, "I don't want to win I must annihilate this game." I sprint for the Iolani player as he receives the ball; he takes his time, oblivious to me, coming up behind him. I reach him just as he releases the ball and I sweep up with my leading hand slap the ball backwards and into Sam's lap.
I turn around to face the Iolani goal, carrying my momentum with me. Sam and I sprint down to the other side racing each other to the goal. An Iolani defender is waiting for us, he charges Sam and I call to Sam to pass the ball. "Sam!" I yell as the defender draws closer. Sam stays calm drawing the defender to him and at the last second he throws the ball to me. Time slows; hours replace seconds as the ball hurtles toward me. I take one last kick into the air and meet the ball with my outstretched hand. My arm is already wound up so I whip my arm and wrist forward releasing the ball with optimal backspin. The buzzer rings and at this moment time goes into fast-forward. The ball charges through the wielding universe and hits the back of the cage with a thud and a swish. The ball hits the corner of the cage slamming against both bars and slides down the net.
I climb out of the pool seabirds soaring in my stomach with joy. We all congratulate each other with hearty smiles. My life of fear and prosecution flashes before my eyes for the last time as my pain dissolves and becomes something greater. Pride in myself is born in the pit of my heart a feeling that has never been evident in my body before. I now know that I have fulfilled my goal and the jeering kids are now cheering fans. We circle around on the pool deck and with the crowd hitting our cliff of victory we roar, "Punahou!" as one.