Monique van Rheenen

I'm cutting in towards center.

I know I can go for a goal.

I'm bypassing the forward who's calling for the ball because this is my moment.

And I get taken out from behind by this damn girl who's chasing me right in the middle of the penalty box.

I don't like penalty kicks because that's a lot of pressure.

And it's a lot of pressure when it's down to the wire in the semifinal game, and it's that bitch of a coach who's been benching you all season.

So I go up there.

My heart's beating a mile a minute.

I set the ball down on the marker.

And I'm watching the keeper, and she's jumping around on the line.

I can hear people yelling.

I see my dad in the bleachers, and I know that if I miss a penalty kick, it's going to be bad at home.

It's going to be bad with my team too.

But I go up there, and I see that coach, and I see that damn smirk on her face.

And I can think of her just telling me, you're not mean.

You're not mean enough.

You're not mean enough to play.

And I took that ball.

I ran back, and I buried that ball so far into that corner of that goal.

And then we lost the game because they got the ball back and they scored.