To say I am a walking train wreck is an understatement. You name it， I’ve hurt it: I’ve broken my right wrist; had a break that spiraled down through my right ankle; broken both big toes; jammed almost every finger; partially torn a 1)tendon in my right ankle; fractured my collarbone and broken my right 2)pinky twice. For all my injuries， I have one thing to blame: sports. I’ve played soccer， softball， basketball and baseball， 3)lacrosse and tennis， done cheerleading， and gymnastics， and been on swim， dive and football teams.

My decision to play football came as a result of four little words: You can’t do it. Determined to prove my friends and family wrong， I sought the approval of my father. I failed. According to him， a girl’s job is to cheer from the 4)sidelines as the boys do the hard stuff. But that did not stop me. I knew how to get what I wanted and asked my mother. She agreed. She was the only person who believed in me.

I put on my rib protector， shoulder pads， and helmet feeling nervous about my first practice. After stretching and 5)conditioning， it was time for the special drill， which consists of running at another player and trying not to get 6)annihilated.

“McCarthy and Alexander 7)on the line.” It was my turn. Coach blew the whistle， I held the ball tightly and ran at the best player on the team with all my might. I got destroyed. Practically in tears， I stood up; it was my turn to defend. Coach blew the whistle and the player ran at me. I

lowered myself and tried to tackle him.

“8)Fumble!”

The players yelled as I threw myself on the ball. The players clapped and cheered for me as I came up with the football. My teammates and coaches knew I meant business.

“Nice 9)recovery， McCarthy， except pink socks aren’t allowed on the football field.” I laughed as I handed Coach the ball， ready to try again.

Pre-season flew by and before I knew it， it was the night of our first game. I wore my jersey with pride. Three plays into the game， Coach gave me the call.

“McCarthy， 10)D-end for Donnellan. Calm down and get in there.” I ran out to the defensive 11)huddle.

“Coach wants us in a 12)beagle formation，” I exclaimed.

My teammates laughed， “It’s eagle， Shannon. Ready， break.” Embarrassed， I went to the line and got into my defensive stance. I was going to do this for everyone who said I couldn’t， for the one person who said I could， and for me. The offense hiked the ball and handed it off to the 13)fullback， who came running at me! I hit him as hard as I could and threw myself on the ball.

“Hull’s ball; recovery on the play by 14)rookie Shannon McCarthy.” I had done it.

My team finished the season with only one loss， but more importantly， I finished the season a better person. I had proved to everyone that football is not just for the guys， that girls can hold their own in the sport. I was the only girl on the team， but that did not stop me from seeking excellence. Unfortunately， that was my only season of football because a softball incident that spring caused the spiraling break down through my ankle.

I still love football and watch the 15)Patriots every Sunday. I’ve inspired a whole group of young girls in my town to play football and there has been at least one on the team every year since I played. Football gave me the opportunity to grow stronger and taught me to get up and keep going regardless of pain. I learned teamwork， respect， and never to give up even when people say， “You can’t do it.”

若說我是一個遍體鱗傷的大傷兵，這還不夠貼切。你說得出的傷患，我都得過：我的右手腕斷過，右腳踝曾螺旋形骨折，兩個大腳趾也斷過，幾乎每根手指都被軋傷過，右腳踝的一塊肌腱曾部分撕裂，鎖骨斷裂過，還有右手小拇指曾兩次骨折。我受的這么多傷，全拜體育“所賜”。我踢過足球，還打過壘球、籃球、棒球、長柄曲棍球和網(wǎng)球，也做過拉拉隊員，練過體操，還參加過游泳隊、跳水隊和橄欖球隊。

我之所以決定打橄欖球，完全是出于這四個字：你做不到。為了向朋友和家人證明他們是錯的，我尋求父親的支持，但是沒有成功。在他看來，女孩子要做的，就是在場外為在場上沖鋒陷陣的男孩子吶喊助威。但是我沒有被他的說法所左右。我知道怎樣得到自己想要的，所以轉(zhuǎn)而詢問母親。她支持我的決定。她是唯一相信我的人。

我穿上護甲、護肩，戴上頭盔，為第一次練習(xí)而緊張不安。做完伸展運動和適應(yīng)性訓(xùn)練后，我們開始進行一種特殊訓(xùn)練，包括向前沖去撞倒另一名隊員并且盡量不要反被對方撞倒。

“麥卡錫和亞歷山大準(zhǔn)備?！陛喌轿伊恕＝叹毚淀懮谧雍?，我握緊球，使盡全身力氣向隊里最優(yōu)秀的球員沖過去。我被對方撞倒在地。我站起來，快要哭了，接著輪到我防守了。教練的哨子響起后，球員向我直沖過來。我俯下身，試著把他絆倒。

“掉球！”

我立即向球撲去，這時大伙兒都吶喊起來。我拿著球跑回來的時候，他們又鼓掌又喝彩。我的隊友和教練明白了，我是在認真地練習(xí)橄欖球，不是來玩玩的。

“球搶得好，麥卡錫，但是球場上不允許穿粉紅襪子。”我邊哈哈大笑，邊把球遞給教練，準(zhǔn)備再試一次。

不知不覺中，賽前的練習(xí)時光飛逝，今晚是我們的第一場球賽。我滿心驕傲地穿上運動球衣。比賽暫停了三次之后，教練對我下令：

“麥卡錫，你到唐尼蘭那邊做防守邊鋒。冷靜下來，到那里去。”我跑向防守隊員們。

“教練要我們擺犬形陣型，”我高喊。

我的隊友笑了，說：“是鷹形，香農(nóng)。準(zhǔn)備，散開?！蔽倚呃⒌嘏艿疥犖槔铮诜朗匚恢谜竞?。為了所有說我不行的人，為了那個唯一覺得我能行的人，為了我自己，我將奮戰(zhàn)到底。進攻球員猛地舉起球，把球傳給后衛(wèi)，而這個后衛(wèi)正向我沖來！我竭力沖撞阻擋他，然后撲向球。

“赫爾失球，新手香農(nóng)·麥卡錫搶到球?！蔽页晒α?！

在這個賽季中，我的球隊只輸了一場，然而更重要的是，賽季結(jié)束后我儼然已脫胎換骨。我已經(jīng)向所有人證明，橄欖球不是男孩子的專利，女孩子也可以打得很棒。我是隊里唯一的女孩，但是這沒有妨礙我追求出色的表現(xiàn)。不幸的是，那年春季一次突發(fā)的壘球意外使我的腳踝螺旋形骨折，所以那個賽季便成為了我唯一參加過的橄欖球賽季。

然而，我仍然喜歡橄欖球，每個星期天我都會觀看新英格蘭愛國者的比賽。我還激勵了鎮(zhèn)里的一幫年輕女孩打橄欖球，自從我打橄欖球以后，球隊里每年都至少有一名女性球員。橄欖球使我更堅強，教我摔倒后重新站起來，無論多痛都繼續(xù)前進。我懂得了團隊合作、互相尊重，以及即使所有人都說“你做不到”的時候，仍然堅持下去，從不放棄。