Feeling "It"

These are videos I watched during my indoor season. My coach always talked about getting the blood pumping and feeling the jumps. A lot of what we did through the year was based on feeling the jumps. Watching this provoked the epic part of the sport. I aspired to go through something like this every time I competed.The allure of this kept me wanting more than I thought was capable. Every aspect of a track meet meant more than just flights and jumps. It usually started with the ride followed by the warm-up. I kept my "anthems" blasting in hidden headphones. Music provided my soundtrack. I heard steps, jumps, and felt the feeling of winning. At first, it was too much for me to handle, but the uncomfortable situations helped me grow. During competition I had to test my ego. Every large foul was a reason to make it legal, but also it weighed heavy on me. I knew what I was made of and what my abilities were. The hardest part was unless the numbers were on paper, they didn't matter. You wouldn't realize by just looking at the athlete how they got to where they are. There aren't any guides as how to become an athlete. Most of us stumble upon it and never look back. The game-time swagger that the audience watches is the array of experiences, feelings, aspirations much greater than ourselves.