By: Jesseca Stoneham
I’ll never forget the day I became a Colorado Rockies fan. It was 2007, and the Rockies were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. At the bottom of the 9th, down to the final out, I clung to my parents, hoping they could win. There it was—the mistake, the check swing, and an easy roller—Troy Tulowitzki to Todd Helton to seal the deal on the NLCS! I’ll never forget that moment.
But as much as that win felt like a dream, the following World Series was a harsh reality check. I felt the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, watching the Rockies get swept by the Boston Red Sox right after. It was like the magic of the NLCS faded instantly, leaving me to wonder what might have been. Even for a kid like me, even in the face of defeat, it was impossible not to feel proud of my team.
As I have grown up, the feeling of holding on through the tough times has stayed with me, both as a Rockies fan and in life. This was their first chance at a ring, and they have come so close, yet so far. Little did I know, it would be the start of a long journey ahead
Watching my team struggle through the seasons beyond 2007, only to bounce back to the postseason just two more times since, has been a powerful reminder that success isn’t always going to give immediate results. Sometimes, it’s about the long haul. I cling on to that 2007 World Series because I know they can make it. Seeing the Rockies fight through those tough seasons time and time again, has inspired me to approach my life in the same way. I must change my mindset to keep pushing, to keep believing and focus on the good even when things feel hopeless.
That’s the thing about sports and life, you never know when the next big moment will come. You don’t know when the tides will turn, or when that championship game is your next. But if you give up too soon, you miss out on that chance for greatness. The Rockies taught me that, the team that has fought those battles. Even if they haven’t made it back to the World series, there is always the possibility of a comeback, one day.
Personally, whether I am faced with challenges in school, work, or just life, I hold onto that same mindset to keep myself moving forward. I have to remind myself that the underdog will get their win. Because like the Rockies, you can always find hope in the fight itself, and the chance that one day, things will turn around and that little girl clinging onto her parents will finally see that team she fell in love with get their win.