When you're climbing the mountain and getting nowhere
When you take a par fifteen on a two-shot hole
When you play volleyball and can't "bump, set and spike"
When you can't kick the ball squarely into the goal

Things will go wrong--in this game called life.

When you feel you cannot run another mile
When you take a fall in your gymnastics routine
When you lose the game in front of family and friends
When you're the last one chosen (again) for the team

That's when you need to practice.

When you embarrass yourself in front of your peers
When you think your team's totally lame
When you're ready to give up, you're ready to quit
When you think you'll never have the money or fame

You can always dream.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes do on the field
When you go down swinging--one--two--three strikes YER OUT
When you homerun--score a goal--for the OTHER side
When you think you'll never be good, when you have doubt

Don't EVER quit.  Try, try, again.  Practice makes perfect!

(C) Karla Dorman, 2003.