A Paralyzing Love Story

Maggie, who is 16, got paralyzed in a car accident while she was 13. She meets a boy who is her age while doing something she loves to do.

A Paralyzing Love Story

by Kelly Griffin

I am Maggie and 16 years old. I am paralyzed  but I was not paralyzed all my life. At least not until after one summer day 3 years ago.

And this is the story of what happened…

I was 13 years old at the time and  in 7th grade.  I was looking forward to starting 8th grade and trying out for the soccer team. I was a great soccer player so I was on the freshmen team in 7th grade My best friends were on the freshmen team who were Casey and Aja.  Soccer was my favorite thing to do behind bowling and had fun playing soccer. I could not wait to try out. I was practicing one night then it happened...

It happened on June 21st.  I was with my mom, Makayla, heading home from soccer practice.  Someone named Michael was driving while drunk and  he drove into the back of  our car. My sister Jessica called  911. Shortly after, we were taken to the hospital and Michael was arrested for DWI. I had suffered a neck injury so  I was in the hospital for  about a week. The doctor said I had injured my spine as well. They told me that  I might never walk again and would be paralyzed  for the rest of my life.I felt so disappointed that I might not be able to play soccer ever again.

Once I was  okay to move, they sent me home in a wheelchair. I was happy to be home . A week later, I started physical therapy and went to my physical therapist once a week at first.  After a while, I started going twice a week. I was making great progress and I could almost walk a couple feet but not that far.   Everyday I was gaining strength in my legs. I knew my life would never be the same again. I just wanted to play soccer again. It was 2 weeks later when I got a brace for my spine. I went to physical therapy to learn how to walk again. It took me 2 weeks for me to  not use the wheelchair. I was happy that I didn’t get injured worse like if I lost my leg. I was hopeful that I would be okay.  

My friends were there for me and supported me. They wanted me to be able to walk again. They came to my house everyday and brought games so we forgot about my injury for those few  hours.  I couldn’t play soccer but I still went to some of the club games to support my friends.  I was determined to play again even if it took a few years or forever.  At the same time, I knew there was a possibility that I might never be able to play soccer again.  

What I didn’t know until the day of the surprise was that my friends were throwing a surprise party for me. My club season was almost over so my friends wanted to surprise me. This is just what true friends do. I was told by Casey to go shopping to pick a dress out but she didn’t tell me what it was really for.  She told me that  it was for a dance. I went to the dance and after it, I was surprised to be picked up in a limo. Two of my  friends were in it who were named Kathy and Kelly. I arrived at a mansion and walked in and  Aja screamed “Surprise”.   I was so surprised by my friends. During the party, we played games and had fun.  

After the party, we went shopping and saw Ramona and Beezus. I loved it and it is still one of my favorite movies. My favorite scene was when Ramona and her dad drew the picture together.   My friends liked that scene too. We went to the store and got a lot of soda and snacks then went to Aja’s house to have a movie night and sleepover. We watched many movies and read magazines. The next day we went bowling together and I did very good. My lowest score was a 103 and highest was a 120.  I went home after we went bowling and after a date. I love spending time with my friends.

 I told my parents what I did with my friends and that I met a boy named Kyle. Kyle was so handsome even though he was in  a wheelchair just like me. Kyle and I met at the bowling alley.  He was bowling next to us.  He was doing well and he got a turkey. I went over to him and complimented him.   We talked after we were done bowling. I told my friends that I was  going to a restaurant with Kyle.  We  decided on a pizza restaurant called Pizza  Kingdom. I ordered  a pan-size cheese pizza with cheese sticks and a Dr. Pepper. Kyle  ordered a pan-size pizza with pepperoni, a salad ,and a Root Beer.   Before we got our pizza, we got breadsticks then our drinks. We got our food 10 minutes later and ate. After we finished eating, we talked about how we got paralyzed. Kyle was in a car accident just like me and was left paralyzed in his legs.

 I asked him about his family and he said “I have a caring and loving family. I have two sisters and a brother.” He had an older sister who was my age named Serena and a younger sister who was 10 years old named Carly. His brother was named Hunter who was 18 years old. Hunter had a crush on a girl named Christina which I was told by Kyle to keep that a secret. Kyle asked me if I could go to his house the next day and I said yes. We ordered dessert and ate. For dessert, I ordered chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and  a chocolate chip cookie. Kyle ordered cinnamon sticks with icing. We both ordered a chocolate milkshake as well. Before we left, they would crown the pizza queen and king. I was named queen so I was hoping Kyle would be the king.  Kyle was named king so I was very happy. We each got a crown and a few coupons for free pizza.

The next day I went to his house. He lived in a giant house with a long driveway.  He had  a swimming pool and a basketball court. He also had a movie theater room. He told me that we would watch a movie and have popcorn.  Also, we would play games on his Wii. We decided to watch Tangled and play bowling in Wii sports.  Kyle’s siblings watched the movie with us. Kyle and I sat on a loveseat and shared a popcorn.  Kyle got me a cup of soda and  I said thank you to him.  We finished watching the movie then we began playing bowling on his Wii. I went first and got 8 pins then I got a spare. Kyle got 9 pins but not a spare.  My final score was a 120 while Kyle got a 121.

After we finished bowling, we went to the swimming pool where Kyle was going to have a pool party. I told him that I had to run home to get a swimsuit and I lived close to him. We went swimming for 2 hours. We played water games such as water polo but I couldn’t  really swim.  I heard the doorbell ring and Carly answered the door. “Your friends are here” yelled Carly to Kyle. Kyle yelled back “Do they have their swimsuits?” Carly answered “Yes. Josh doesn’t though.” His friends were told to get change then got into the pool.  Kyle’s friends included Hannah, Lauren, Emily, Jack, Josh, and Connor.  We were going to do a cannonball competition and I was chosen to go first. I didn’t do a cannonball.  Instead I just slid right into the pool. I knew I wouldn't win but at least I  had fun. Connor and Hannah were the winners. Emily was in a close second for girls and Josh was in second for boys for the competition.

We got changed and went outside to play games. We were going to do relays. The teams are Hannah, Josh, Connor, and Emily.   I was on the team with Jack, Kyle, and Lauren.  Lauren was disabled as well just like everyone else at this party. The first relay was a fill-the-cup challenge where one person run or wheels to the cup with a sponge from a bucket of water.  Once one person squeezes out the water into the cup, the next person goes and so on. I wheeled myself as fast as I could.  I was the one who won it for us so each of us won a free movie ticket.  

The second relay was about to begin and it was an egg and spoon relay. Each person had to walk 10 feet then walk back without dropping the egg then the person hands it off to the next person. The teams are divided into groups of two. I was paired with Hannah. Hannah walked without dropping the egg  then it was my turn. I dropped the egg but  everyone else did too so Hannah won. She walked with braces on her legs.  The next game was not a relay. The third and final game was a water balloon toss  where we stood in a circle and when you got the balloon without it bursting. If it doesn’t burst, you pass around the circle until it does. I was lucky enough to catch it and passed to Hannah who didn’t catch it.

The games are finished but there is still time to do another activity before I have to go. The final activity was playing wheelchair basketball. Kyle decided it to be a 3 on 3 match.  Hannah and Jack sat out for the first match to keep score. I was on the team with Emily and Josh.  The game started and my team got the ball and I dribbled to the basket and I took a shot. I missed but Josh got the rebound and made a basket.  Kyle took the inbounds and passed it to Lauren. Lauren shot and made a basket.  It was tied at 2 when I made a basket.  The final score of the first match was 20-18 and I made the winning basket. The next match was 4-on-4.  I made 5 out of 10 shots for a 24-20 win. I headed home with my bag of stuff including the movie tickets I won. My friends were waiting at my house for me.

We decided to go to a soccer skill development center for kids with disabilities. I met with a woman named Eva who gave me a tour.  The center had many rehab rooms and soccer fields. The rehab rooms included a spa-themed room, weight room, a pool area, and a counseling office.  The rehab center offered free massages. I knew I finally had a chance to play soccer again. At the same time, I knew I would never be as good as I was before. I met with a man named Andrew who told me that he would be my physical therapist.  I started on a weight lifting machine. Andrew wanted my arms to be stronger.  I also met with an assistant physical therapist named Rebecca.  She told me to use a bike to help strengthen my legs. I also had a soccer skills specialist named Victoria  that helped me learn skills again.  

The first day was over so I asked my parents if I could go on a date with Kyle and they said yes. I called Kyle to meet me at a restaurant  called Mario’s who serves pasta and pizza.  I ordered a medium sized bowl with spaghetti and meatballs. For a drink, I ordered a medium raspberry iced tea.   Kyle ordered the same thing as me but he ordered a root beer. For the appetizer, we got garlic toasted bread sticks.  After we ate the bread sticks, we got our drinks then our food. When we were done eating, we ordered dessert. I  ordered a dozen cannolis. I gave 2 of them  to Kyle who ordered a slice of lemon cake.  I ate 2 of the cannolis that I ordered and brought the rest home. We talked about my physical therapy and the chance of me being able to play soccer again.  “That’s great news! I hope you are able to play soccer again” Kyle said.  “Thanks! I know that I won’t be on my school team this year” I said.  “ Maybe next year?” Kyle said.  “Hopefully” I said and he paid for our meal and gave them a tip before we left.

The next day, at 7 am, I went to the rehab center. I met other soccer players who have disabilities just like me. There was a girl who was my age named Nicole. Nicole was disabled since she was 10 years old and played soccer.  I talked to her and I found out that she goes to my school and is in 7th grade.  She said “ I have 3 sisters named Emma, Erin, and Claire.” I told her that I have 2 sisters named Katie and Jessica.  

I met with my psychologist who was named Sophia. Sophia told me that I would meet with her every other Wednesday.  On Tuesdays, I have weightlifting and cardio then on Thursdays, I have soccer training. Today is a Tuesday so after my meeting with Sophia, I head to the weight room to meet with Andrew.  I started  lifting weights starting at 8 pounds. After I was done weightlifting, I used the bike. When I walked out of the weight room I saw a poster said “Soccer Fans, are you ready?”  It also said there is an US Women’s soccer game in 2 weeks a block from here at the Mario Soccer Stadium.  

There  was also an US soccer clinic coming up and I heard that Alexis is running the clinic. Alexis is my idol and it is my dream to meet her.  When I got home, I asked my mom if I could go to the game and the clinic. My mom said yes because it is free.  I told Kyle about the chance that I might meet my idol. Kyle wants to meet Alexis I wondered if there was any chance that  Kyle could meet Alexis.  I told Kyle I could ask them for two tickets for the game. I got another ticket and when I told Kyle, he hugged me.  He said “Thanks!I love you even more now.”  I love him so much. For the next two weeks, I went to the rehab center and got stronger. The next day It was the day of the game.  Kyle didn’t tell me that my best friends were going to be at the game. I sat next to Kyle, Casey, and Aja during the game.  Alexis subbed in for Abby then  she scored a goal.  The US won 3-0 and I was so happy that  I just watched my favorite US sports team winning.

After the game, there was an autographing session with Alexis.  There was a long line of people who wanted her autograph including me and my friends.  My friends, Aja and Casey were 2nd and 4th in the line. Kyle  was in the line with his friend Josh.  Kyle was 3rd in line while Josh was 7th in the line. I was right in front of a girl named Caroline. Kyle got his autograph then it was my turn. This is what Alexis wrote after she saw that I was in a wheelchair:

Dear Maggie,

I adore meeting fans that are disabled like you. It is great that you never gave up. I wish you the best of luck on this bumpy road to recovery.  I hope you are able to play soccer again and   be able to walk again. I know you can overcome this since I believe in you. Do something that involves soccer even if you can’t play. I had to use determination to overcome my own struggles in life.  Enjoy life and move past your disability because lie is filled with obstacles.  If you don’t move past it, how can you enjoy life? You can’t.   Work hard and you will achieve your goals. I hope you will be able to watch another game of mine some day.

  Best Wishes, Alexis

I almost cried while I read it. It made me feel so happy that someone like her cares so much about me. She wants  me to able to  play soccer again just as much as I do.  I am so glad now that I got to meet her.   I showed it to Kyle and he read it.

“Looks like someone else cares about you as much as I love you” he said.

“I think you are right. Like why would she write that if she didn’t?” I replied.  

“Maybe she feels sympathy towards you” he said. I told him bye then I went home.

 I will never forget her letter so when I got home I placed in a box filled with memories.  I told my mom, Makayla, about the letter.

“I love that Alexis cares about you. Maybe you could keep her updated by sending her emails.” she said with a smile on her face.

“I think that is a great idea but I didn’t get her e-mail address” I said.  My mom said “That’s ok because isn’t she running the clinic that is in a few days? You could ask her then.”

In a few days, it is the day of the soccer clinic which was across the street from the soccer development center.  I saw Alexis when I got to the clinic so I walked over to her. When I asked her for her e-mail,  she said ok and wrote it down for me.  I headed to the group of about 100 girls who also love soccer including many who were my age. 6 of the girls stood out from the rest because they were disabled just like me.  I recognized Nicole and Natalie from the soccer development center.   Natalie was there with her sisters Cassidy and Bella.  Nicole didn’t tell me that 2 of her sisters, Emma and Erin,  were disabled as well.  

The instructor was Haley who was the coach of the US soccer team at the time.  Haley said “ You will do a series of warm-ups including running a lap around the track.  After you are done with the warm-ups, you will head to the soccer field.”  I finished the warm-ups then I headed to the soccer field which Hailey told us that we would be put into groups of 7 and your group would be paired with one soccer player.  My group included Natalie, Nicole, Cassidy, Bella, and Nicole’s sisters. Our group was assigned Alexis which I was happy about. Abby was in charge of the group with Monica and Molly. The players also included Grace, Julie, Laura, and Olivia.  I noticed that everyone with a disability was in my group.  I was not surprised by that fact.

My group started with strength training. I had to throw a 6-pound medicine ball  to Natalie then she threw to Bella.  We did this for about 5 minutes then we moved up to a 10-pound medicine ball.  We did the same thing with this ball then we started doing soccer skills.   I didn’t use my wheelchair because I was using a spine brace during the clinic. We started with passing skills and I  was okay at passing but I  was better before the accident, then we did dribbling drills. I could  only dribble a few feet. The next skill was shooting on a goal with a goalie. Natalie was chosen to be goalie and I was chosen to be the first shooter. I  was the goalie when Hannah was the shooter.  I saved 3 out of 4 shots that she took. I felt so good that I saved those shots.

The clinic lasted a few more hours then I went home and told my mom that Kyle was taking me to a frozen yogurt place.  I got picked up by Kyle ten minutes later. Hunter, who was 18 years old, drove us to the frozen yogurt place and told him to pick us up at the park in 2 hours.  We arrived at the frozen yogurt place. We got in the line and when we got our yogurt, we paid for it.  

We walked to the park and found a bench by a lake to sit on. We enjoyed our yogurt and talked about  the rehab center and the clinic that I  went to today. I told him that at the clinic they announced that there will be a disabled kids festival with some singers and soccer players and a soccer invitational during the festival. I was so excited to meet my favorite singers and players. My favorite singer is Taylor Swift. I always would listen and dance to her music.  I learned that there will be contests and activities during the festival and the concert is on the last day. The festival will last 5 days then there will be an invitational for kids with disabilities.  Alexis and Abby would be there.

Kyle decided to come with me to the concert during the festival. I was so happy that he decided to come.  He wanted to meet some of his idols. Two weeks later, the festival began with a presentation of people who overcame an accident that resulted in them having a serious injury. After that, they had a contest where you had to answer questions about movies. Kyle and I love contests and want to win. I answered 7 out of 10 questions correctly  and he beat  me by 1 question.  I  was 3rd and Kyle was 2nd in  contest. Megan got 9 out of 10 questions correct to win. I was so happy for Megan. Megan was Kyle’s younger cousin and got disabled when she was 8 years old. When Alexis walked over to me, I was told to go talk to Haley  about something for the concert. Haley told me that she would recognize disabled teenagers  like me.  She told me that each teenager would have to write a speech.

I went home with Kyle and my friends after two more contests. I came in 2nd place for both of them. For the next contest, I want to win so badly. but I would be happy even if I lose.  When I got home, I went straight to my computer and started typing my speech. I typed my Intro then I had Kyle read it and said it is good. I wrote the rest of my speech. This is what I wrote so far for my speech:

Hi, My name is Maggie  and I am 13 years old.  I loved playing soccer.  I am disabled like all of you. I was involved in a car accident which resulted in a spine injury. The doctors said I wouldn’t be able to play soccer ever again and that I would be paralyzed on my right side for the rest of my life.   I knew my life had just changed sufficiently after the accident. I loved to bowl and one day, I met a boy named Kyle who is disabled as well. We hang out together very often. I couldn’t walk since I was in a wheelchair. My dream is to one day be able to walk again. I think I can do it if I never give up and work hard. If you have goals, you should never give up and work hard. Be determined! You can do anything if you work hard.

I hoped that my speech will inspire many people. I printed it out and Kyle proofread it and gave me suggestions.. I made some changes and printed it out again. I brought it to show Haley who reviewed it and said I had to add more details. I told Haley that I would finish my speech when I got home. Kyle said that there would be a bowling tournament. The problem was that there was not a bowling alley near where the festival was so we had to wheel yourself so walk to a bowling alley half a mile away.   I was very happy about that because I love bowling.

The preliminaries would  include 3 3-game match with the top 8 9-game scores move on. There would be 3  head-head matches where your record would determine your seed for the ¼ finals if you are in the top 8.  The first matches are starting and there are 4 groups of 4. My group includes Elise, Erin, Jennifer, and myself. Kyle was in a group with 1 guy named Robert and 2 girls named Megan and . Emma. My first match was against Jennifer who was a good bowler. Her average was just 3 pins lower than mine which was a 113.  I was chosen go first and I knocked all the pins over so I got a strike while Jennifer got 7 pins and on her 2nd ball she missed the pins.  My final score was a 112 while Jennifer finished with a 106. In the second game, I got a 112 and Jennifer got a 96. In the final game of the match, I got a 106 and Jennifer got a 112.  I won the match with a total of 330 and Jennifer got a 314.  Kyle won his match 340-320. Both of us were 1-0 after the first match. The highest total overall was a 350 which Cassidy got. I was in 4th  place while Kyle was in 3rd place right behind Elise who got a 345.

 My next match was against Erin who got a 320 for the first 3 games. No one got over 200 in a single game so hopefully someone will get over a 200 in the 2nd round of preliminaries.  I went second during each game of the match,. In the first game, I got a 123 and Erin got a 110. In the second game, I got a 126 and Erin got a 116.  I did very good in the 3rd game since I got a 160. A 160 was my highest score ever.  My total was a 739 after 6 games and I was in 1st place. In 2nd place was Elise who got a 360 for her total and she had a 705 after 6 games.  I really wanted the top seed which meant I would play against the 4th seed.

I bowled very good against Elise and got a 459 for my total while Elise got a 456. My 9-game total was a 1198 and finished in 1st place and had a 3-0 record. Kyle finished in 4th place with a 1009.  Elise finished 2nd place. I was chosen as the top seed so I would face my boyfriend in the ¼ finals. Kyle and I often went bowling together and I won by less than 10 pins each game so I knew it would be a close battle. The other ¼ final matches were Elise vs Erin, Jennifer vs Robert, and Emma vs Megan. Our match was last so I watched the 1st match then I went to practice for our match. The 1st match was Emma vs Megan. Megan lost by a mere 3 pins, 456-453 to Emma. Emma would move to the semifinal against the winner of Robert vs Jennifer..

After Jennifer and Elise won their matches, it was time for our match. I bowled well in the first game getting a 110 which is 3 pins less than my average  while Kyle got a 109. After one game, I was ahead of Kyle by 1 pin. In the second game, I got a 129 while Kyle got a 130 which meant it would come down to the last game. The crowd went wild whenever I got a strike. My 3rd game score was a 139 while Kyle only got a 120. I would move on to face Elise who beat in my second match by a mere 3 pins. My 3 scores were a 137, 130, and a 161 for a total of  428. Elise finished with a 123, 125, and 129 for a total of a 377. I was so happy that I would finish no lower than 2nd place and I would face Emma in the final.  Emma was one of the best disabled bowlers in the tournament. .

The final would be the next day after the 3rd place match between Jennifer and Elise. Jennifer and Elise were close in their average.  Jennifer had a 106 average while Elise had a 109 average. I figured that it would be a close match. There were 2 classification matches that were Robert vs Megan and Kyle vs Erin. Kyle would be competing for 5th place while Megan would be competing for 7th place.  Kyle’s match was after Megan’s match. Megan won her match 378-360 then Kyle won 450-390. Kyle and Megan got a plaque for their accomplishments so did Robert and Erin but they got white ribbons for the participating in the contest.

The next day was a big day for me since everyone was there for my match. Aja and Casey reserved a table for Kyle and me at Pizza Kingdom and they said you would have this dinner with Kyle no matter if you win or lose. Aja and Casey  thought my scores were excellent. It was time for the 3rd place match between Jennifer and Elise. Jennifer started with getting 3 spares in a row but Elise got a double then 8 pins. Elise won the first game of a 3-game series with a 145. Jennifer came back to win the 2nd game with a score of 134. The series was tied at 1 game apiece. Elise got 4 strikes in a row to finish in 3rd place. A hour later, it was time for my match and I was so happy. I was nervous so I  just took a deep breath.I was the higher seed so I went first. I got a strike to start. The score was 134-123 and I won so I was ahead 1-0. I bowled a 139 the second game so I was ahead 2-0 after 2 games. I will win no matter what the result is for the third game. I was so proud that I won. The third game was 129-131 and I lost so it was 2-1 and I won.

In two hours, it was time for the awards ceremony. First the 5th through 8th placers were recognized and each of them received a white ribbon and a a t-shirt that said “Bowling Tournament for kids with disabilities” and on the back on the t-shirt it had theach person’s name and place.  The 4th placer got a red ribbon and also got a t-shirt. Elise got a bronze medal and a 3rd place trophy as well a t-shirt. After Emma and I got our prizes, we each got a small prize bag. I met up with Aja, Casey, and Kyle then we headed to Pizza Kingdom. I saw that one of my friends ordered a cake for me winning the bowling tournament. We ate dinner then I went home. 2 days later, it was the day of the kickoff concert for the soccer invitational. I was going second just after Kiera who was disabled since 1st grade. It was my turn now and I told my story and when I was done I got a partial standing ovation. Haley said that the concert will start in 5 minutes. Taylor Swift was first, then it was One Direction’s turn. The concert was over in about 2 hours. The next few day, I played soccer and my team finished in 3rd place. I got a big trophy but not as big compared to the 1st place trophy.

The day after the soccer invitational was over, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament started.  I was one of the starters  for the 1st match of the day but I was subbed out when my team was up 12-6 with 5 seconds remaining and my team won 16-6. I scored 6 points and Kyle scored 6 as well.  The second match, my team lost 14-16 on a buzzer-beater. My team was 3-1 at the end of the day. My team had another 4 games the next day. The next day was hard but my team still  finished with a 2-2 record to have an overall record of 5-3 which is good enough for 3rd place.  After 2 more days of the tournament , my team was  12-4 so my team moved into the playoffs.  The team that we played was 11-5 and we won 22-18 against them,  My team was in the final against an undefeated team but my team won 12-8. The festival was officially over.

        A month had passed and it was time for the soccer tryouts. I couldn’t actually play soccer so whenever they did soccer skills such as passing I was able to do them.  I didn't make the team so I was asked if I could be the manager of the  team.  As manager, I would have to keep stats and be a ball girl as well as cheer on my team. I was so happy but sad that I didn’t make the team since I couldn’t run.   The first game was on September 3rd which was 3 days before the first day of school. My team included Sarah,Nicole, Sallie, Casey, Aja and Maria.  The first game had a final score of 2-0 and my team won.  Aja scored both of our goals.

        The next 6 games, we outscored our opponents 20-1 averaging about 3.3 goals each game. We were undefeated at 7-0 with 9 games remaining.  We had a total of 22 goals so far.  One week there were 3 games. We were a very good team with an exceptional goalie named Kenzie. Kenzie’s real name is Mackenzie and she had been playing goalie since she was 5 years old. Kenzie had a 0.25 goals against average going into our 8th game. The other team got on the board first but we quickly answered with a goal of our own. At halftime, it  was tied at a goal apiece. The game went into overtime since at the end of regulation it was 2-2. We won 4-2 and now were 7-0-1 with 8 games remaining. The next game wasn’t as close. The final score was 3-0 with Aja scoring two of the three goals.  Our season was done in about 6 weeks. We finished with a 14-1-1 record. Aja and Casey combined for 28 goals.  Kenzie had a season total of 134 saves and 9 shutouts.  A few weeks later,  it was time for the soccer banquet to wrap up this amazing season. I was chosen to do a speech since I was a honorary captain of my team. Aja and Casey also had a speech to do.  I wrote my speech with my coach.  It was an one page long.  Here is most of my speech:

My name is Maggie. I was honored to be able to help out this team in many ways. For example, I was chosen to be manager since I couldn’t play. I was very happy to be a honorary captain. I never thought I would be here as a part of this amazing team. Coach Brittany truly believed in me and supported me. Aja and Casey always supported me.  I will always remember my experiences this season. I hope one day  that I will be able to play soccer again.  For now however, I will have fun and live my life. Maybe one day I will be able to play again.  I could play a variation of soccer one day. I will always have soccer in my heart and I will never give up. You, my teammates, made me a better person. So now I will never take anything for granted.  I am determined to play soccer again. I am hoping you all will be inspired by my story.

I said my speech so good and I was proud. Aja and Casey both talked about me in their speech. I  was so happy during the banquet. At the end of the banquet, I got a bunch of kind messages in many cards. I also got a bunch of  gifts.

A few weeks after the banquet,  I learned that a girl named Carol is starting a wheelchair soccer club. I am thinking of joining.  I know that it is not the same as real soccer but at least I will be playing soccer. I heard that the club would start the next spring and would be called the Amazing Spartans.  The club would be co-ed meaning that Kyle could be on my team and would compete against other nearby co-ed clubs.  I was so happy that I would be finally able to play soccer again. Before I was on the club team, I had to try out.  Kyle and I signed up for the same day. We went to sign up at the soccer development center. Carol worked at the center at the front desk.  Emma and Erin signed up at the same time as us. Emma and Erin signed up for the same day as well.

A couple weeks later,  it was the day that the tryouts began.  Emma, Amber, Erin, and many others were excited to tryout.  We started with warm-ups then we moved onto different types of drills. The skills included dribbling, passing, and shooting. I was good at all three skills.  After the drills, we did 1-v-1 matches. My match was against Emma. 

To Be Continued and will be edited

Reviews

[Abderrahmane Dakir]

It's wonderful story, keep writing. great job.

[Kelly Ann Griffin]

thanks. I am a sophomore in High school who loves writing.