Sports Dream
Lindsay Rock

1 For as long as I remember
Becoming an athlete was my dream—
To score a point, to win a game,
To be a member of a team.

5 I pursued the game of baseball;
Took a line drive to the knee.
I pitched the ball with all my might,
The hitter fired it back at me.

9 Thought that I’d attempt some golf;
Positioned my ball upon a tee,
Swung my club to give it a whack!
It appeared to laugh at me.

13 Attended football tryouts;
Heard the players discuss a “sack.”
I wasn’t aware of what that was
‘Til they knocked me flat upon my back.

17 Attempted to play volleyball;
A player sprang up for a spike.
That ball bolted by so fast
It was like a lightning strike.

21 Tried out for gymnastics
To learn tumbles, twists, and flips,
But all I had to demonstrate
Were stumbles, sprains, and trips.

25 When it comes to playing sports
I’m like a fish upon the land.
No bats, no balls, no mitts for me,
Just slip a pen into my hand.

29 I might not be an athlete—
Nor challenger or fighter—
But I can merge the things I love
If I become a sports writer.

Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions:
12)
Which describes the main conflict the speaker must face?
A) The speaker loves sports but he is not good at playing them.
B) The speaker dreams of being a writer but has writer’s block.
C) The speaker fears that he will get hurt while playing sports.
D) The speaker wants to try out for sports but he is not allowed to do it.
13)
Based on evidence from the poem, the author MIGHT consider sportswriters to be
A) very lazy.
B) fiendishly clever.
C) somewhat laughable.
D) unpleasant to be around.
14)
What is the BEST evidence that the author would make a good sportswriter?
A) the poem's admiring attitude toward athletes
B) the fact that she has failed at almost every sport
C) the poem itself, which is a funny description of sports
D) the fact that she has loved sports since she was very young