NLL Insider

I didn’t think I’d be nervous. I played in big games before. All week, I told myself it was like anything else. But it wasn’t.

This was my first NLL game.

It was something I had been waiting a long time for and the moment was almost here. It was time to take the floor.  Waking up that day it seemed like any other day. We went to shoot-around and film before the game and I felt good. My shot was on, my stick was throwing great and I felt calm and collected. I even got a chance to talk to the Insider’s own Brian Shannhan before the game and talked a little about this and that.

Lunch came next. A little Cheescake Factory with Tommy Johnson, Steve Panarelli, Sean Morris, and Zach Heffner. Some pre-game pasta and a bottle of Pedialyte were on the menu. Get some carbs and electrolytes in the system to get me ready to go.

Then it was back to the apartment to catch a few Zs before the game. A quick hour nap rejuvinated me and got me even more ready to go. I awoke and got the suit on and headed to the arena.  I was anxious to get there and get my gear on and get out there. But I still had a couple hours still to kill.

Ankle tapping and some tunes on the iPod helped to kill the time, light warmups and heavy sped up the minutes before the game.

Then, it was time.

Getting ready to head out for intros. That’s when it hit me. The game was about to start. The palms got a little sweaty and I got a little nervous. My name was called and I was worried about not tripping on my way out to the floor. But finally it was here, my first game.

I dropped my first pass, but after that I was fine. It was like any other game. Going out there and getting dirty, throwing the body around and trying to get some shots on net. Although we didn’t win, it is a night i will never forget.

Rate This Story:

(12 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

 Loading ...