“Griffin, your dad has something to talk to you about coming over here now,” my mom yelled.

        My mom sounded calm when she said those words. I knew I was not in trouble, and I had not done anything wrong. We were on vacation. Not like a Florida trip or Hawaii or anything special just about 30 minutes away from our own house. It would not sound like a vacation but I was calling it one because we were spending the night at our grandmas and grandpas house for two weeks straight. Once I stepped out of the room I slept in I saw my mom standing there with the phone in her hand. I took the phone from my mom and my dad started talking.

        “Hey bud I wanted to call you about tryouts,” he said.

        Summer had just begun so the soccer season had just ended. There were 3 days of tryouts and it was my second day so far. This was my first year on this new soccer club and I was on the third to best team. I was about 99 percent sure I would move up to the second team because I was the best on my team and I had been guest playing with them and practicing with them sometimes. 

       My dad then said, “so, I was informed about tryouts and they already told me what team you made, and since they told me what team you made you don’t have to go to the tryouts later today.”

      I was nervous to hear what team I made but at the same time excited to not go to the last day of tryouts because my cousins from California were in town and I wanted to spend more time with them. That was also the reason why we were at my grandmas and grandpa's house in the first place. Currently I was playing on a soccer team named Cincinnati United Premier which people would call CUP. I was playing on their third best team and I was 99 percent sure I would make the second team because I was by far the best in my team. 

       “I have good news and bad news. What do you want first?” My dad asked. 

       “I’ll take the bad news first just to get it over with,” I replied.

       “The bad news is you did not make the second team,” he said. 

       I was so surprised and sad. My heart froze at that moment. My jaws dropped open. I could not take it. 

       “H-h-how,” I stuttered.

       I thought I could easily be one of the best on that team and I really wanted to move up to that team because I knew all the players on that team. My dad always grew up playing soccer. He was ranked the number one soccer player in Cincinnati when he was in high school. I really just wanted to impress him and make the top team the one he used to play for but apparently I could not even make the second team.

       “Ok are you ready for the good news, my dad said.”

       I was too shocked to speak and I knew he was going to say something like, the good news is I think you should have another year on the third team so the soccer club could know you or something like that just to make me feel better. I knew it wouldn’t though. 

       “Alright well whether you want it or not the good news is you didn’t make the second team because you made the first,” My dad said. 

       I was kind of ignoring him so his words really just slipped through my brain.

       “I what,” I said.

       “Yep you heard me you made the first team,” he said back. 

        I couldn’t believe it. My heart was like a bar of super slippery soap, it was slipping everywhere into every emotion possible. It was one of those moments that felt like you just woke up on a Saturday morning with nothing to worry about and you have a good song stuck in your head. I just feel so free right now like I could do anything and still feel happy. I mean making the top team never came to my mind as a possibility. As soon as I stopped bouncing off the walls my mom grabbed me.

       “So what happened? Did you make the second team?” My mom asked.

       I kind of forgot that there were still people living on this planet in the mix of all of that emotion. 

       “No, I did not make the second team. They said I was not good enough for it,” I said in return to my mom. 

       “No they did not,” she said.

        “No I seriously didn’t make the second team, and the reason why is because I made the first team,” I said back. 

        By the look on her face I knew she was almost as shocked as I was. 

        It was not like I really even wanted to play on that team because my friends were on that team or something. In fact, I knew nobody on that team. I kind of just wanted the feeling of confidence that I was good enough to play on that team. 

       “So you have time to think about it,” my dad said “but do you want me to accept the offer for you, and remember if we decline it you would automatically be placed on the second team unless you don’t want that offer either.”

      Then my dad asked the question that really ruined the moment for me. So do you want to accept the offer? He said. 

      You would think I would say yes easily based on how excited I got to hear that news but really it was a tough question. First off I was really shy and I did not know people on that team. Secondly it would be a huge jump in competition and instead I could go on the second team and work my way up to the first team after a couple seasons. And lastly games on average are about 3 hours away so we would leave on Friday drive 3 or so hours, get a hotel, play one game and then drive back. Also practice would also be an hour drive 4 times a week. So really the only reason I got excited over that news was because I was glad to hear that I was good enough to make that team. There were so many reasons to not accept the offer and little reasons to accept it but then I remembered, I started my first year on this soccer club one year ago and I remember taking the offer. At first it was hard. I did not know anybody but it took two weeks until I realized the guys in that team were some of my best friends. And so I realized it would be tough at first but I would get to know everybody and it would be a blast. 

      After taking all of my energy out I began to speak to my dad. 

      “I’ll do it,” I said. I could tell those three words that a force out of my body was gonna make my life better just with a little sacrifice which I was able to take.

     My dad was super surprised. I was shy around new people so saying it quickly  took him by surprise. It was also an opportunity for me and if I waited another year for tryouts I might not have been able to get the offer again. I definitely learned that you have to look on the bright side of things and even when it might be hard at first and even if you never ended up liking the thing you tried then you can still learn something about it.