Personal Essay: What Is My Cultural Identity?

The season started out like any other, one week of pain staking agony and push-ups. The constant workouts, sweat, and two hour practices were completely worth the outcome of my last volleyball season. The past four years of my high school career I spent being a member of the volleyball team. But to me, this is not just a team, this is my family. I knew I would become close with my team since I spent so much time with them, but then I realized even once volleyball was over, they would still be my family.

Four years ago I never thought that basketball would come to an end. During my freshman year I thought that high school was endless, and senior year seemed like a distant future. Last Wednesday brought me back into reality, and showed me that the end is near. It was the District Semi-Final game, and of course we had to play McBain for the third time this season. That day we had an overall good feeling about the game, but there was also this nagging sensation that volleyball may repeat itself.

An important discourse community that was a part of my life was my volleyball team during my four years of high school. I started playing my first year going into high school and continued until I graduated. Until now I wasn’t even aware that would even be considered a discourse community, but it fits all of the qualifications of Swales’ definition of a discourse community. Goals As a sports team, we obviously have goals; our main reason being to win against our opponents. The entire reason a team is put together and participating in practice almost every day is going towards our goal as a team to win games.

My sports life also changed drastically in volleyball when I got switched from a hitter to a setter. I’m really glad my coach had me switch, I love the amount of control I have in each play and in general on the court. With any other position, there is no way that you are going to touch the ball every play. But with setting, I am involved in virtually every play. I really like that with setting, I still get to do a lot of passing, blocking, and sometimes get kills of my

Constantly I question myself about my past, remembering all the marvelous and dreadful moments i´ve had. Every moment has made me more stronger, maybe more humble or more determined, each of these moments have taught me something that makes me the person (who) I am today. At the age of 8, I was a high performance athlete. Tennis was instilled by my father from an early age and since that moment this sport became my passion. I remember this one final, against a girl named Valentina that had always been my rival and i´ve never been able to defeat her on the court.

I went in with a negative attitude, but I remember walking out of that gym after every practice having accomplished something new. After a few months my jumps got higher, my stunt group had the highest basket toss, I got a back-tuck. Everything fell into its place, and I finally discovered what I loved most. I am so grateful I never quit after that first practice, cheer has shaped who I am today. I’m now a captain and three year cheerleader at Brighton, 2 year United Spirit Association All-American Athlete, and planning to cheer in college.

However, I realized my love and desire for the sport, which aided me to overcome this emotional scar by avowing to focus on becoming an even better player. The summer following my sophomore year I had a running routine, eating regimen, and training that I followed to make myself stronger. During that season my teammates, coaches, and fans took notice of my new motivation, I was always sent out to cover the best players on the other team. I was so focused that I emulated defensive plays of the US Women’s soccer team and played every game like it was the championship game of the season; because of my determination that season I receive the MVP award. Later, after winning the award I recognized that I did not only train harder for the award, but I worked harder because I had matured in my love for soccer and in my personal life to prove to myself that nothing is impossible.

I have experienced failure throughout my whole life. Though, the most recent failures I have experienced are when I entered the college. As one of the Best Player of the Year at soccer in high school, I took it for granted thinking that at my level, it would be okay for me not to continue practice soccer for the summer. Instead, I focus my whole summer working at two jobs near my house. As a result, I have learned a lesson the hard way.

In the beginning of my Freshman year, I joined my high school’s rugby team. When I joined the team I had no background knowledge on the rules or how to play rugby. My first rugby season was very frustrating and challenging. Within the first week almost every girl excelled due to their knowledge on proper technique; while I struggled tremendously. I decided to stay and continue to learn how to play rugby because I believe in striving to achieve my desires, but at times I felt stuck in the same place on the same level.

I won two boys, and one girl that was also the first time I ever wrestled a girl there is not many girls in this sport for wrestling in high school. My coaches were proud of me for winning the girl. In other match I won was a boy he got disqualified, and that’s how I won he was doing illegal moves that weren’t allowed. It was a good match and I didn’t give up even though I knew I didn’t win that match by pinning the person down or by points it was still a win that I felt confident about. In my very last match which was this other boy I won, and that was a very intense match and so long too.