Team

• Jorja Mcmahon, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2019

Out on the pitch the sun was burning on the back of our necks, shoulders and arms. The place was in the middle of nowhere, it was as hot as hot might be, very dry, all but like hell. As we began practise, we started to have trouble breathing. The air was so dry that even the spit in our mouths was drying up and it got ever increasingly harder to keep up with each other. My arms and legs started to burn with pain as we continued to do exercises and sprints. I was so exhausted, the heat from the sun started to make me feel faint.
Over the next few weeks it started to get easier, my legs weren’t burning as much and I became fitter. Finally Michael ordered in equipment and it was delivered within a week later. We received football boots, new uniforms, shin pads and a ball. We now had something of our own which came with responsibilities and a need for care. And from working together we had developed an understanding of personal responsibility and team respect for each other’s equipment. After the weeks of training we had actually started to work together as a team. Yeah sure there were still disagreements, but I was shocked to see that we actually started to come together. We played a game every week and as we came together in a huddle, I suddenly realised it, we actually had become a team. As we played our game, we trusted each other, we worked together, we communicated with each other and we helped each other to become a team, we changed as individuals.
That was our last game, it had been 8 months. Many left that detention centre as improved versions of themselves, fitting back into the community in a positive way. A small number of the boys didn’t grow and returned to the detention centre. After being there for over 3 years, I finally walked out of there feeling good about myself. I found a place that showed me how to respect and work with others, a place I was connected to and somewhere that helped me to become the better person that I am now. I’ve become a better person, engaged with my community and realise that if I also help others, they’ll do the same in return.