High School Senior Creative Writing Project

The Art of Bench Warming (2006)

By Sanita Saengvilay

“This one is for all the marbles, “whispered my coach.
The gym is in a silent anticipation, well that, and girls’ volleyball doesn’t usually draw a crowd. The score is 24-23 and all we need is this serve to win it or lose it. But all the weight is not on my shoulders. I am the one on the sidelines. No, I am not one of those cheerleaders. I am the coveted bench warmer. My purpose is to cheer for my teammates and get them water occasionally. If one of them gets injured, I will be there to fill in the few seconds before we tragically win or lose the match. Unless I accidentally packed the wrong shoes and was unable to play which I did twice during the season.

So there I was yelling “WHOO! YOU GOT THIS! GO ELGIN MAROONS! EASTSIDE MAROON PRIDE! Uhhh...YEAH!” I have been doing this, cheering and warming the bench, since I was in the 7th grade. In fact, these cheers probably have lost all meaning and become robotic. My cheers have even been labeled as “Pidaisms”. “Pida”, my nickname, and “Pidaisms” is the art of rambling nonsensical cheers when on the bench. You’d be quite surprised at how many people commit “Pidaisms”. Its not that I am terrible at the sport because I am on the team, but it is just that there are more people that are better than me.

On the bench, I would usually strike up a casual conversation with my coach or another teammate. We would discuss what does the phrase “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” actually means. With sprinkled “Pidaisms” in between to keep up the motivation. During breaks of the games we’d discuss what our favorite Star Wars movies were and why. We’d play games and constantly quote movies we have seen. The bench was not a bad place to be.

But this last year, something was different. After the team huddle, closing with an “Eastside maroon pride!” I took my seat on the bench and watched my teammates. As I watched, I began to notice certain habits and patterns. I digested this information and used it to my advantage to perfect my game. I experienced an epiphany and finally understood the terms “stay on your toes”, “hustle”, and “cover”. So when my teammates weren’t playing up to par, I would be put in and know just what to do. I had to prove to myself, my coaches, and my teammates that I was more than a benchwarmer. The more I improved, the more playing time I got. Then soon enough, I was in the starting lineup and had my name butchered when announced.

All the pressure was on my shoulders now. Once again, the score was 24-23 and it was up to me to get this serve. I hear one of my teammates scream, “This is it Pida! It’s all up to you! Don’t miss your serve!” I make my serve, but my teammates are unable to return it and we eventually lose the match. While in other games, I hear my coaches rambling and committing “Pidaisms.”
“Good Job! Uhhh… Keep up the good work Pida…Go ELGIN!”

Then I hear the ramblings of my other teammates that have taken my coveted position of benchwarmer. “Whoo! GO ELGIN! EASTSIDE MAROON PRIDE! WHOO... ELGIN… WHAT!” They now will learn and see the job of a benchwarmer and the inevitability of rising to becoming the best player they can be. I have learned that the benchwarmer has a very important role on every team.