College Admissions Essay: The Sport That Changed My Life

For most of my childhood, the sport of baseball was the one activity I loved above anything else. Nothing could compare to the exhilarating freedom and satisfaction of bolting full speed around the bases, determined to steal 2nd, beating the "Throwdown" by a fraction of a second. The massive dust cloud kicked up by my cleats and the thunderous boom of the umpire shouting, "Safe!" made me feel empowered.

It was in moments like those, when I was in control of my own fate, choosing whether to stay or to run, whether to play it safe or to risk failure, that I learned one of the most important lessons of my life.

Sadly, my enjoyment of baseball was short-lived. As I transitioned into middle school, the sport became more competitive than enjoyable. Rather than hearing cheers and

When I received my class rank at the start of sophomore year, I told my father “11th is decent, but I can do better.” When junior year came, and I received the updated numbers, I said the same about being 4th, "I can do better". Here I am, 3rd in the class, battling through my senior year, and still pushing myself to do better. Pushing MYSELF. My determination to improve doesn 't stem from my parents, my coaches, my teammates or ANYONE demanding me to, but rather because I know that I am capable.

The same aggression to improve that I put into rising in ranks academically, I also put into my new sport of choice; Tennis. I have been determined to improve as a player and have thrown myself at any opportunity to do so. This drive has helped me transition from the bottom of varsity to the top-ranked male player and team captain both junior and senior years.

I may not be playing baseball today, but I have taken the lessons I learned from leading my team and applied them to other aspects of my life, such as my position as Tennis Team Captain. Rather than deride my teammates, I support and encourage them to improve as players of the