The Locker Room

Monday, August 15, 2005 8:29 PM CDT


The PRE-GAME delirium

heavy on my mind

dissolves as I ready my

equipment onto my body.

Watching my teammates prepare for

the opening night,

fear is buried deep beneath,

realizing that time with

them will last forever.

I'll remember the times when we all

laughed so hard,

our stomachs could not bear to laugh anymore.

Distant roads we traveled to lose

and win games as a team.

While I have my teammates and coaches

to play for and my family and friends

in the crowd, scoreboards mean nothing.

Now we sit side-by-side in our locker room,

calm and uniformed, ready for the competition.

Stepping into the arena, participating in the design of all sports, hungry for victory, with each other in our hearts.

Mike Odom, 2005