Jersey number 15

I’m jersey number 15. 
I'm the girl that warmed the bench in 7th grade,
dutifully handing out water and watching the score with bouncing knees, 
the person who makes random posters
for the upper classmen on the last day of the season,
the one who was excited to buy her first pair of cleats, and be part of something bigger than herself.
              ~                          ~
I’m the girl who gave the pep talks to her team in 8th grade,
then sat back down on the bench. 
I'm the team mate who accidently scored in her own team’s goal ...
and that kid who shouted the loudest,
and made up corny school chants, rhyming names with jibberish – some of them stuck. 
              ~                           ~ 
I'm the person who tried out for high school sports in 9th grade.
I was one of three freshmen who didn’t quit the team after preseason. 
I was the team member who arrived at practice early, 
and left practice last. 
I’m that person that brought cookies to the softball game, 
and that kid who played three sports every year, simply because I couldn’t pick just one sport to focus on. 
               ~                            ~
I was the weak link that was improving in 10th grade,
the person who really wanted to win,
but was too afraid to play,
the team mate that would apologize after a bad pass, and compliment the other team in a game, 
the kid that would randomly dance on the field for a smile,
because we were losing badly and everyone was mad at each other. 
I'm the player who often makes up her own unorthodox footwork.
I was the team mate that wanted the game to be fun. 
I cracked the first joke on the bus ride home after a particularly hard loss. 
              ~                               ~
I’m the young lady with the red ‘captain’ band around my arm in 11th grade, 
the one who always tries to improve every practice, 
the player who encourages the new team mates, and then laughs at my own mistakes, 
the one who makes small corrections to others – and then turns around to ask a question myself, 
the girl who talks to the other team in the locker room 
because I finding people interesting. 
I'm the first person to stop playing when someone is hurt, no matter how intense the game is, 
because the well-being of any team member is more important than winning a game. 
And I’m the team mate that still brings cookies to softball games,
posters to basketball games, and shouts silly chants in soccer. 
        ~                ~
That kid on the bench,
the girl who made the basket,
the person with the pep talks,
the team mate with the positive energy,
the thankful human being, 
that young lady you saw smiling after losing a game –
that is who I am: 
jersey number 15.