Freewrite

 Freewrite.  Another freewrite today. I don't know what to say, but I never do when I start these things. I always think of something though. These things really do help fluency. It seems like I can never think of anything to write while I'm starting out, but once I get going it comes very easily. I liked this past summer a lot. I had a great time. I wish it hadn't gone by so quickly. I miss last school year too. A lot of my friends graduated, and I miss them. It's weird being an upperclassman too. I am so used to being a sophomore. I like being a sophomore because you aren't new to everything like the freshmen, but people don't expect out of you what they expect out of upperclassmen. You don't have the responsibilities the upperclassmen do, and you aren't expected to be a leader yet. It is also easier to impress people when you're younger because, like I said, they don't expect too much from you, so when you are good at things, it excites and suprises people. I enjoyed being a sophomore. A lot of my friends were seniors, and they were the ones that were expected to be leaders, and expected to be good. By good, I am talking in terms of athletic talent, because many of the seniors I was friends with were my teammates in softball and basketball. They led the teams. I helped, but they were the ones that were expected to be leaders and examples. They were the ones people expected to be good. This year, especially with a group that important recently graduated, there are big shoes to fill. And since I am an upperclassman now, I one of those expected to fill those shoes. Underclassman and coaches expect me to be a leader now. Especially in basketball. Softball is my main sport and the sport I am best at, but we have several seniors on the softball team, and we have a pretty good team, so it's not just me; the responsibilities and expectations are shared by several of us on the softball team. In basketball, however, I am expected to be the only upperclassman on the team. I am the only one in my grade that plays, and the one girl in the grade ahead of me that played last year has said she isn't playing this year. Even though I am not that great at basketball, I will be expected by my coach and teammates to be a leader. I am going to have to work hard to be what my team needs. I am working hard in softball as well, but like I said earlier, I am better at softball, so it is easier for me to lead there. This year will be a challenge, but I am going to do my best to step up to it. I miss my recently graduated friends quite a bit, and I am going to have to do quite a bit to try to fill their shoes. I miss having them around quite a bit, to be honest. I looked up to them a lot. I never realized how much until this year, when they were gone and I realized that I was expected to step up and be to others what they were to me. 
-Ellie Lane