Personal Essay: The Best Football Player

Throughout my years of participating in high school basketball, I have overcome many challenges. My freshmen year, basketball started in a way I never expected. Continuing on, I understood the real meaning of hard work, and what it takes. Lessons I learned in basketball will carry on throughout my life, helping me to become a successful adult.

Nothing hurts more than being excluded. I learned this the hard way my sophomore year. This is a story about my high school lacrosse team. Most of my friends are on the team so we’ve become very close after playing together since the seventh grade. We play lacrosse in the backyard almost everytime we’re together.

Every person faces a type of adversity at some point during their lifetime, and in that instance, he or she can choose to give up or persevere. In high school, I was on the football team. Everyday we had to push ourselves in each aspect of the sport, whether it be patience, discipline, endurance, etc. Whenever I got into the sport, I knew that it would not be easy, but I had no idea the amount of work that I would have to put into it to be successful.

During my elementary school time, I had learned that this world is full of competition and you have to act out in order to stand a chance. I was quite intelligent in my classes, especially on the subject of mathematics. While I thought nothing of it,as I was bullied for that reason, my teachers saw it differently. Then, during the 4th grade, my teacher, Mr.Green, had asked me if I would like to join the school’s math field day team. At first, I wasn’t so sure, but after a few days, I was now a part of my school’s math field day team, along my twin brother, Anthony. That was a decision never regretted in my life, as it showed me that I wasn’t alone, that their were others like me, and able to make friends within my team, which in turn taught the truth of this world.

I will never forget that encounter the intense sun, the endless horizon, the infinite shades of blue that dissolved any boundary between sky and trees.The views were like swimming into a kaleidoscope, deceptively plain "Lake Winaukee" sign on the outside, but a show of colors on the inside, waiting to shock and, mesmerize me. Those colors! Sails on the horizon covered the lake; streaks of sunlight illuminated them, the swaying wildlife creating a dance of rhythm. Beautiful, preserved life synchronizing every movement with the camp sight creating one living entity. As I finish my 15 minutes of observations at camp, I realized I was ready for my first padded practice of the year.

A difficult or challenging situation that I have faced is trying to become a starter on the football team. Every year I start the season as second string, next to sub in. However, I have always worked hard and gave all my effort every day at practice. Many days I have come home so exhausted I have no desire to eat, but if I did not then I also would not grow stronger. Now my senior year all my hard work has payed off as I am a starter on the defense and special teams. I know that just as I did, the underclassmen are struggling with all their might so they can snatch the starting spot from under me. Understanding that I must begin every practice as if my job were on the line I go out onto the field every day with a fiery passion. Although I

Being a captain in soccer whether it's professional soccer or high school soccer is an honor to be. Professional players such as Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos, and the player that inspired me to play soccer Paolo Maldini have all shown why being a captain is such an honor to be. Now I have been given the honor to be varsity captain for My high school soccer team but I wasn't just given to me because I was a senior no, it was given to me because of my hard work and dedication to become a better soccer player and to become a leader.

After the end of a JV football season, the varsity coach always selects a few players to move them up with the varsity. Getting moved up with varsity is a huge deal. It means that the varsity coach thinks you’ll make a good impact on the team next year and sees potential in you. I always knew I wasn 't a good football player, but that didn 't matter to me because I loved the sport. I didn 't start at any positions my freshman or sophomore year. In fact I barely even got in with practice squad at practice, I was small and my body just wasn 't fit enough for me to play any position. At the end of my second JV season in tenth grade, the varsity coach came and talked to us and called out the names of who he wanted to move up. I knew my name wasn’t going to be called but I was still

As a little boy I had big dreams of playing football. When I was walking in the halls of the intermediate and middle school and saw the high school football players with their jerseys on, they were like super stars. I looked up to them because I wanted to be like them. The high school football players were popular, they were happy, and they were important to the school. Going to the football games on Friday nights was the highlight of my week. I told my mom that I wanted to be out there one day and she would be my biggest fan and cheer me on to victory. She said “ Sure Connor, but you go a few more years to go.” My father was energized for me to play football since he thought I would be incredible at it. My dad saw a future of me go to college playing football and being the first one in my family going to college.

Ever since I was a toddler, I loved sports. Baseball, basketball, it did not matter; I just liked to run. When I was around 4 or 5, I was in the living room watching the Steelers play the Cardinals and saw Santonio Holmes grab a game winning touchdown to win the Superbowl. I was so excited that I jumped up in the air and I told my dad, “Daddy when I grow up I want to play football and I want to score a lot of touchdowns just like 10 does.”

Growing up, I spent most of my time playing sports and trying to stay active as much as possible. As I got older, I became more serious with field hockey, and I was determined to make the varsity team my junior year of high school. All summer I spent working on my stick skills on the field, and my endurance in the gym in order to do everything I could to make the varsity squad. When tryouts started in the end of August, I hadn’t performed the way I wanted to, and girls I thought had no chance of making the team, played so well over the three days. However, I was hopeful I still had a shot on the varsity roster. On the last day of tryouts, all fifty of us were to find out what team we had made, or for the few girls, that they were getting cut

Determination. I had to put this word first in this essay because its the only word that has a big meaning to me and has my whole life. Being determined has done a lot for me in the long run. It had kept my motivations up and going, also has led my life to where it is now. Determination wasn't just planted into my mindset one day. No, obstacles in my life that had the opportunity to make me or break me had helped me get a good grip on the motive. I knew that I wanted better and needed more in my life. I can say that I do have determination for a better future and a better me, dedication for both is what is leading me to pursue a college career.

Children at a young age have a lot of energy, To solve that problem, they are sometimes put into a competitive sports team. Many will disagree and say that this is unacceptable , while others say that it is beneficial. Children should be able to be put in sport teams because most children play sports as a passion,and it not only benefits them with being athletic and healthy, It's also favorable to children because only its a game, it also teaches children morals, and life lessons.

For me football is a way of life not just a sport. It’s a gateway to peace and unity. Growing up as a kid in St. Catherine Jamaica I was considered privileged to some. Why? Most would say it’s because I was born in the suburbs I went to private school but they didn’t know deep down we all have struggles within ourselves. Other kids that weren’t as fortunate as me saw me as cocky. Only time they respected me was when they saw what I can do with a ball at my feet. At the age of three I picked up my first soccer ball that’s when I found out what love was. At the age of five I saw a team in England play their name was Manchester united the manager was the great Sir Alex Ferguson I then came to the realization that they played the exact type of football I loved fast and physical with a great passing game.

The sound of the whistle jolted me into action. I dove from the block, and a wave of silence crashed over me as I hit the water. For a moment, there was a sense of serenity as I swam under the surface. The spell broke as I rose for air. I could hear everyone yelling and cheering. Tuning out the noise, I tucked my head under the water, staring at the pool’s tiled floor. Nearing the wall, I lifted my head to gather a breath of air before my flip turn to start my second lap. Looking up, I saw five of my team members at the end of my lane cheering for me. With a renewed energy from their excitement, I turned and continued the race. After the race was over and I was out of the pool, I took my hard-earned ribbon and scurried back to where my swim