Sarah Briggs

ENL 361

Biography

9/21/04

the first half in the life of a sports fan

Sarah Jane Briggs was born on January 10, 1982 to Gary and Veronica Briggs. As the couple’s first born and the first granddaughter on the paternal side, she enjoyed her high status and her allotted time in the spotlight.  However, Sarah was soon followed by a baby brother Jeffery born on February 3,1983, and graciously made room for her brother in the warm glow of her family’s attention.  In only a few short years, Sarah’s younger sister was born on February 18, 1985. Soon after Carolyn was born, Sarah started taking on new responsibilities and forming her personality.  She became eagerly interested in local sports including the Red Sox and the Celtics.  She enjoyed time with her father watching games and learning the names and positions of not only some but, all of the players.  Sarah’s parents now laugh at aspects of her personality that developed at this time.  Even as a young child Sarah was very responsible, according to Sarah’s mother Veronica, “she was like a mini adult, Sarah was always making sure I remembered the bottles for the baby and anything else I might forget”.   Just as the family seemed to settle down, Sarah’s youngest brother was born on May 6, 1987.  Sarah began to take on even more responsibilities as Johnny grew up.  Sarah started school in the fall of 1987 and enjoyed her new found independence. It was in kindergarten where Sarah discovered organized sports. Each child was given pamphlets on the cities recreational sports. Sarah asked her parents to sign her up for soccer. This would be the beginning to the already sports fan’s athletic career.

After her initial introduction to organized athletics, Sarah went on to play a sport in every season, soccer, basketball, and baseball. As she aged it was not as easy as signing up for the teams. Sarah tried out for little league baseball, and was told she could not play little league baseball because girls played softball. Sarah still went to the little league try-outs and was not drafted to any of the teams. Devastated she played in the minor league baseball league and hoped to make a little league team the next year. Sarah continued to strive on the soccer field; she was the only girl to make the city travel team that was one of the best teams in the area. After the fall soccer season and the winter basketball season Sarah was again left out of little league. For four years she was never drafted to a little league team, and she had to settle for a minor league team. Finally when she was twelve she was drafted to a little league team. Some would say the only reason she was drafted was because of a lawsuit that cited the league purposely did not draft girls because that thought girls should only play softball.  Besides baseball Sarah was very successful in athletics.

It was this success that proved to be a very helpful aspect in gaining entrance to a private school. Leaving public school for private school was difficult in many ways. For one thing Sarah had attended a public K-8 school so she had never switched schools before, also none of her friends would be joining her at the private school. In addition she would have to wear a uniform and obey much stricter rules then public school. Although the transition appeared to be very difficult she was able make a smooth transition. Sarah was able to make many friends through athletics and became acclimated with the new rules. Since she was the only freshman on the varsity soccer team, she was the subject of all the hazing that typically goes on in private schools. She was often tossed into the bushes at school and her books were often knocked out of her hands making her late for class. It was only after she made it through all the hazing that she was accepted. Once she was accepted she was very popular amongst students of all freshman to seniors. Sarah played three sports in high school soccer, basketball, and softball. In the fall of 1998 Sarah suffered a bad leg injury while playing soccer. Sarah broke her tibia, fibula, and had a hairline fracture in her femur. She spent fourteen weeks in a cast and enjoyed constant attention from her mom, which included fresh baked goods and plenty of sympathy snacks. Sarah started to feel lazy and as the time went by and the cast was almost ready to come off Sarah marked the time with added pounds.  Weighing in at an all time staggering high, 125lbs, Sarah got out of her cast and back into action. After the cast came off Sarah was back participating in sports. In 2000, her senior year, her high school softball team won the division 2 state championship, one of her greatest accomplishments. Sarah graduated from high school June 1, 2000, not knowing what she was going to do in the fall. Sarah took that summer and traveled to the state of Maine working at basketball camps at different Universities and Colleges.

 After the summer Sarah moved to Newton and enrolled in a community college where she continued to play soccer and basketball at a competitive level. After an uneventful year she transferred to Mount Ida College where she was a member of the basketball and softball teams as well as the soccer team, which claimed the Northern Atlantic Conference championship. Even though Sarah really enjoyed Mount Ida, she was in search of a College or University with more to offer academically, so for the second time Sarah transferred schools. The third time was the charm, Sarah finally settled at the University of Massachusetts in 2002. In the summer of 2002 Sarah was employed as a summer police officer in the small town of Chilmark Massachusetts.  After the summer she began classes at the University of Massachusetts, where continued her athletic career.  Unfortunately this soccer season would be her last, since in the late fall of 2002 she attended a police academy. Upon graduation of this police academy she was able to work year round as a patrolman in the Chilmark police department, Sarah works full time during the summer and on the weekends during the school semesters.

 In February 2003 Sarah’s family welcomed a new addition as Sarah’s sister Carolyn gave birth to a baby girl, Taylor.  As the baby got older Sarah and her became very close and remain so.  In the summer of 2003 Sarah learned how to surf, and surfing is now one of her favorite hobby. Sarah is currently in her last year of college and is hoping to attend law school after graduating.