+- International Simulation Football League (https://forums.sim-football.com)
+-- Forum: Community (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Media (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=37)
+---- Forum: Graded Articles (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: *Jubilation and Heartbreak: My Rookie Season in Norfolk (/showthread.php?tid=25980)
*Jubilation and Heartbreak: My Rookie Season in Norfolk - dogwoodmaple - 09-24-2020
There are good things and bad things about being a rookie. The excitement of your first few games, joining a locker room for the first time, and the thrill of putting on that jersey for the very first time. Those are all moments and memories I will never forget no matter how long I spend in the league. On the flip side, though, are the other things you don't forget. Loss, heartbreak, and the pit-in-your-stomach feeling when the season is over and you're going home without the trophy. That's what I felt last week with our Ultimini loss to the London Royals.
I was a latecomer to this season, completely unsure if I would be picked up by a team. At one point I was half-convinced I would remain a free agent until the next Draft, but then my phone rang. I had just finished walking my dog when I saw the Caller ID with the 757 area code. I was hoping for this moment. I tried not to sound too excited, but my fist pumping and jumping up and down were surely audible. I thanked them for the opportunity and started packing my bags for Norfolk, Virginia. On the plane, I researched everything I could about the city, our franchise, and Seawolf-class submarines. I learned about our previous Ultimini titles and our famous players. And I tried to brush up on the current locker room as much as I could before meeting my fellow teammates. But most of all, I did everything I could to keep my nerves in check before my first team meeting. After all, the Seawolves were in the middle of the playoff hunt and I'm walking in off the street to their locker room, their home.
Were the players on board with the front office bringing me in?
Would I mess up their chemistry?
Would they look at me as simply a rental and not "one of them"?
All those worries immediately faded away the minute I arrived at their facility in Norfolk. The entire team was waiting for me outside the locker room and cheered my entrance. There was even a cookie cake, which they'd somehow found out was my favorite, decorated with a miniature picture of my new Norfolk jersey. My nerves washed away and not once did they treat me like anything other than a veteran who had been with the team for years. We swapped stories, discussed Norfolk nightlife, and even managed to talk more than a little football that afternoon. I know they do that for all their rookie signings, but it meant so much to me to be welcomed in like that. I wasn't a rookie anymore. I was a Seawolf.
My first game was our regular season finale and I was happy to be on the Scout Team to help any way that I could. I didn't even know the entire playbook, so just getting practice reps was invaluable. We lost that first game, which was a whirlwind for me, but that simply meant we could put all of our energy on the postseason rematch with Tijuana. That week, I tried to be extra focused and work harder to help my teammates prep for the Luchadores' offense. I was even tasked with helping to signal in some of the defensive calls from the sideline for my first postseason game, which was a thrill. In astonishing fashion, we came out victorious that day and it was a level of jubilation that I'd never felt as a player. But we were careful not to get too excited because our work was not finished and I knew what was coming next. Something I'd dreamed about ever since I was a high school player - winning a professional championship.
It was our second straight Ultimini and what an experience it was for a rookie! The extra practice reps, the fanfare of the championship, the television interviews, the extreme level of focus that sprang from our locker room. It was a cornucopia of emotions and my head was constantly spinning. But at the end of that week, as we all know, we did not win. The London Royals came out on top and their entire organization was nothing but first class and took their victory with utmost respect. I would say that made the loss easier than had they been obnoxious braggarts, but I would be lying. The pain that I felt deep in my core when the final seconds ticked down to zero is something I'll never forget and one of the biggest disappointments in my professional career.
But at the end of the day, I'm thankful to have gone through that experience with my teammates. I'm thankful I wasn't just a free agent watching the Ultimini at home with nothing at stake. I'm thankful that I've made lifelong locker room friends who are closer to family.
I'm thankful I was a Seawolf.
RE: Jubilation and Heartbreak: My Rookie Season in Norfolk - Pat - 09-24-2020
Another great article! I hope you keep on writing!!
RE: Jubilation and Heartbreak: My Rookie Season in Norfolk - ConnorM123 - 09-24-2020
Forever a Seawolf Dogwood!
RE: Jubilation and Heartbreak: My Rookie Season in Norfolk - Jimi64 - 09-24-2020
(09-24-2020, 10:47 AM)ConnorM123 Wrote: Forever a Seawolf Dogwood!This