Personal Narrative: A Career As A College Athlete

Transitioning to college from high school was tough especially being a student-athlete. As an football athlete in college half of my time was spent playing or preparing for football, the other half of my time is spent for academics. Student athletes are naturally at a disadvantage when it comes to academics as opposed to a regular full-time student due to the limited amount of time. I admit my time management skills at Rutgers was not the best which reflects why my grades were on the low in. As time went on my GPA started to improve because my time management skills matured. By the time I transferred to the University of Rhode Island I knew how to successfully manage my time allowing me to excel in the classroom and on the football field.

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.

Since I can remember, my mind has been consumed and controlled by one thing and one thing only, football. Football has driven me to not only work hard to achieve my goals, but has made me become a better person, athlete, and teammate. Starting way before kindergarten, I played in a Little Tykes League where I learned the ins and outs of football. From the first game in LTL, I dreamt of playing college football and I was going to do whatever it took to achieve that goal. Although of course the game wasn’t as intricate at that age and the pads weren’t as heavy, I knew I was apart of something greater and I wanted to never quit doing it. I did everything I could to improve my skills, I started watching NFL and college football with my dad and

Ever since middle school sports have always been an interest of mine. When choosing my high school the sports that were offered was one of the many things that I took into consideration. I signed up for cheer during high school orientation. At the first practice, It was a new experience for majority of the girls; we had no prior experience. As time went on, our skills increased. However, we started taking tumbling classes. I couldn 't do it. That 's when the doubts in my ability began. I embodied the fixed mindset perfectly. Dweck said “ Your ability is on the line. Can you feel everyone 's eyes on you? Can you see the instructor 's face evaluating you? Feel the tension, feel your ego bristle and waver”. I stopped being eager to learn new things , I stopped showing up and dressing for practice, and I also came up with excuses to not cheer publicly. I stayed

The thing about sports is that it never affected my life in the past. Now, this past I’m talking about is before moving into my new home in Edgemont back in grade four. Growing up in my household with three sisters, my parents never put pressure on me to do sports. I grew up revolved around video games and just staying at home. I knew how to kick a ball around, and participated in elementary school gym but nothing more than that. Until we moved houses to Edgemont where I had met my neighbor named Jordan. He greeted me on the first day I moved in my house, and that’s where our friendship ignited. A few weeks went by with just casual hellos and small chat until his mother had invited to an exhibition soccer game near a field by our houses. I was there to make new friends in the community, and to meet a few new

Texas is known for its agricultural landscape but most of all by Friday night Football. In small town communities like Dimmitt being on the varsity team is a big deal.Being moved to Junior Varsity football after making the varsity team, put me in a position to contemplate my loyalty to the sport and to the coaches I felt betrayed me.

Introduction It was the beginning of my 5th grade school year, and I decided that I wanted to begin a new sport. On the first day of practice, having never played the sport, our coach lined us all up on the field. Our team had a quarterback from the previous year that was returning, but he had no one to back him up this season. As coach Link stood back to examine his future team, unexpectedly, he pointed at me and said, “you are going to play quarterback”. Excited, reflecting back, it was one of the best moments of my life.

Being a NCAA Division II athlete during my time at American International College was blessing in disguise for me. Many people do not look at Division II college athletes in the same light as Division I athletes. Interestingly enough, unlike Division III college athletes, DII are held to the same standards and rules as Division I. We have to maintain a certain GPA, we cannot work more than 10 hours a week, we are drug tested on a monthly basis, and we endure two-a-days on a daily basis. Going into college, athletics were always first priority to me; but after being a regular starter on my soccer team entering my junior year, my priorities were completely reversed.

I'm in the car driving toward the high school thinking about nothing except what I'm expected to do today in my game. I have my headphones on and nothing else is phasing me. People could be yelling in my ear and I wouldn't hear them. I'm only focusing on one thing. We all sit outside our locker room with our headphones on waiting for coach to come and unlock the door. Not a single one of us are talking, all of us zoned in with either headphones on or just waiting and watching. When coach comes we get our lower pads on and assemble our uppers to be left in the hallway. Then we go to the basement. We go into room 12 and coach gives us a pep talk.we watch college football pump up videos and then we all go upstairs and put our pads on. Now we have

All my life I had dreamed of following in my mother 's footsteps and becoming a UConn Huskie. I had watched every UConn sporting event with my parents for as long as I can remember. I 've acquired many autographs of players over the years and even obtained a basketball signed by Jim Calhoun. I remember the devastation I felt when I learned the major I was pursuing was not offered at UConn.

As I stood there in the huddle after practice breathing heavily with sweat dripping from my body I listened as Coach Hegsted gave one of his motivational talks. He was talking about how we have no reason to hold anything back or wait for someone else to get the job done. As I stood there, with coach’s voice in the back ground, I thought to myself he is right this is probably going to be the last time I pad up with this group of guys and play with them. It was this day that I had learned a very valuable life lesson that I had never thought of before.

Four years of college football has come and gone for me, as if it all happened it the blink of an eye. However, there is one specific moment that served as a turning point in my career. It came on a rainy Saturday night game against Marietta College. A sophomore at the time, I had little varsity experience as it was only the second game of the season. I never planned on entering the game, our starting tight end at the time was very talented and I received little reps in practice. There came a moment late in the game where he got hurt, and I was forced to enter the game. It doesn’t seem like such a big deal now but at the time I was freaking out. Not that I had to play, I was excited about that but because of the situation. It was late in the

I remember its like it was yesterday. Crisp mid October air washing against my skin, fresh dew glistening on the grass, birds singing in the trees around, then hitting me like a freight train, a whistle blew; I then came crashing back to reality;although, luckily enough we had gotten the ball during kick-off. I sprinted into position, Mid-Field as they call it in soccer;also known as the all-around player who swaps from offense to defense at a moments notice. However, at this moment I had freshly stolen the ball back from our opponents ever so cocky lead forward. To easy I thought as I sprinted up the field; the goal I was about to make would determine the season;first place or second. As my dreams of that shiny gold medal flashed through

As a freshman, and a coach 's son, I came onto the football team and took a starting spot from a junior, who had started in that spot all of last season. There were quite a few players that weren 't happy with the decision, but I felt as if I 'd earned the spot. I knew that the only way i would gain their approval was to stand out. All season I listened to, "He only starts because he is the coaches son" but I tried to block it all out. The junior, who 's spot I took, took all his anger out on me in practice, taking every cheap shot possible while people weren 't paying attention. When we got to the last three games of the season, we had the three toughest teams left on the schedule. The first of the three games was going to be a very

Aaron Rodgers is a professional NFL quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He inspires me the most by who he is and what he does. I have only met him twice and hope to meet him a couple more times. He has inspired me by what he has told me. A quarterback for a professional football team has taught me and told me a lesson that I will always remember and never forget.