If I ever needed confidence, there is one time that I can look back on and call myself a champion and can take pride in. Confidence is important in life and with confidence anything imaginable can become possible. In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago refers to his past in an attempt to give himself confidence, to a time when he was named the champion. It was a crucial part of the story and with his reminiscence of the past; it motivated him to catch the fish. He wanted to have that feeling again of being prized and loved for the individual he was, but he knew that was only possible with confidence. People everywhere relate to times when they had a great feeling of pride to give themselves some confidence.  If I had to look back to a time when I was the champion, I would pick when our eighth grade football team won the Super Bowl. It is the most prized possession any football team can have. If I were ever to struggle, this would be my moment to look back on for strength.  Confidence is so important to success, and I’m grateful I have the Super Bowl to look back on for self-motivation.

The Super Bowl is the last game of a long season.  The game was such a special moment and it will always be remembered. No one can ever take away the memories or feelings from that day.  Ever since we were all in second grade, the main goal was always to win the Super Bowl in eighth grade. Every kid that played Franklin Lakes football knew that nothing else mattered.  Every kid looked up to the eighth graders, and always wanted to emulate their style. Leading up to the final year, each other year seemed to get more important and more intense. So when the time came for our final season, we knew we had to take advantage of the opportunity. Before the game and earlier in the season, we dominated teams. We knew we were the best team, but we had to prove it by going all the way. The season started out great, beating our cross-town rival in a contested game and once that game was over we knew the season was ours. We dominated the rest of the league and when the time came for the last game, our Super Bowl, we knew what we had to do. They had scouted us and we had scouted them.  They were our rivals, the Kinnelon Colts. The game was on a November day, with a crowd bigger than any we had ever played in front of before. The game was emotional, being our last. We walked on to the field, in a single file line out of our locker room, people standing all around us, talking about us as we walked by. The spotlight was on us, and everyone was watching. High school coaches in attendance to see their next group of players in action. As we took the field one last time, we were determined and focused. Nothing would stop us and everyone, the hundreds of people in attendance, knew we were all business. When the first whistle blew, that was when the game was over because from the first to the last play, it was all Franklin Lakes football.  We ran, tackled, threw and kicked the best we knew how. As the game clock ticked down, we started to get emotional, as we knew that it was all over and our years of dedication and hard work had finally got us to our final goal. We would go on to keep on crushing them, the final score being twenty-seven to eight. It was then that we finally called ourselves champions.

To conclude, just as Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea looked into his past for confidence, I too can look back to my final football game as a part of the Franklin Lakes football program for confidence. Just like Santiago, I would reflect on the past in tough times when I needed confidence to overcome a challenge. The game was a moment that none of us will ever forget and was such a special moment to be a part of. It was a time when I could call myself a champion and a moment that I will never forget.