I Am On The Uconn Women 's Basketball Team

Ever since I was a child, my parents put me in various sports: soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, and cheer. Both my parents grew up playing sports and realized that being a part of team sports benefits the growth of a person’s perseverance, determination and overall personality. Not only was I an avid multi-sport athlete as a child, my four other siblings were as well. Motivated individuals have surrounded me throughout my life. They have given me a great example of what it means to succeed and persevere. Not only have I been surrounded by strong individuals I have also been able to try different sports. While it was fun being able to try different sports, I realize early on that soccer was what I wanted to pursue. Soccer showed me how to be a part of a team and never give up.

Growing up with a big family, sports have been a central part of each one of our lives. All four of my older sisters were involved in high school athletics as well. This allowed us to share something in common and was a great opportunity to bond with each other. No matter what hardships we faced, sports were there to help us come together. For example, when my dad was unemployed for two years he was able to come and watch all of mine and my sisters games. It really brought us closer as a family because we were always there supporting each other. Eventually, my parents no longer were able to pay the house bill with my dad being unemployed. Our house was then foreclosed and we had no other choice but to move. We moved into the town of Capac by the high school. Times were tough and money was limited, but we still made the most of our time together. We would all go to the softball fields at the school and play softball or a big game of football. Sports gave us something to bond over our whole lives and I’ll always cherish

Sports was a part of my life growing up - whether it was attending games with my family to support the Huskies at Rentschler Field or Wolfpack hockey games at the Hartford Civic Center or even being part of a basketball team since before middle school, I have grown to love the atmosphere that sport brings. Whether it was assisting my Mom coach in our town’s T-Ball league or working with the disabled or even with the students at Wish Elementary School, through sports, I have been able to build a solid sense of a wider community. It is not just about the game itself but it is about what happens in-between and after. It is the indescribable bonds that form between

Growing up, my dad made sure that my brothers were involved in sports. Because he thought that football was too rough for them at a young age he signed them up for baseball. From then on out, we became a baseball family. Everything we did, all of our family friends were because of the sport. Even though, I did not play the sport, I still loved the game. It was the beginning of my seventh grade year when my dad informed me that it was mandatory that I participate in an extracurricular activity and because my dad was the authoritarian saying “no” to him was not a question. It was then that I decided to join a softball team.

According to Coaches’ Quarterly, Parents believe that children who specialize in a specific sport will have increased chances towards getting a big-time scholarship. Parents have become more dedicated towards their child receiving athletic scholarships because it saves money, brings “notoriety to the family” and allows a young athlete to fully enjoy their college experience (James White). Parents, most of the time, are the strongest influences in a child’s life, including a child’s involvement within sports. While determined to achieve success for their young athletes, parents often believe that an early start in sports will have a child one step ahead of others (Malina). The story of Tiger Woods has been an inspiration for parents to push their children to specialize in a sport early. Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers of all time and has been one of the highest-paid athletes in the world for many years. Tiger Woods has generally been referred to as the “poster child for early specialization”. According to Mark Hecimovich, Sport specialization training can start as early as the age of five (Hecimovich). Tiger Woods has been 100 percent focused on golf since he was two years old. He has won 79 official PGA Tour Events and his PGA Tour record is 11-1 (PGA Tour). Much of Tiger Wood’s success emanated from his father’s passion for golf.

From my earliest memories school sports have been a part of my life. When I was in elementary school I watched my older siblings play basketball, football, baseball, and even male cheerleading. I couldn’t wait for my chance to play on a team, and make a difference. I have been very fortunate to be a part of many great teams at Mandan. I have grown and developed not only as an athlete, but also a person through the athletic programs. Sports have taught me to be accountable, to show up on time, to work hard, to practice, and to push myself to the best of my abilities. They have made me mentally and physically stronger than I ever thought possible and taught me to help push other members to be the best they can possibly be.

From my first T-Ball team to my senior year track club, the comradery and confidence I have gained from competing on numerous sports teams has made an enormous impact on my life. Growing up, I went to a very small Catholic school. With less than 100 students in the entire school district. In third grade, our family moved to Manteno. Where each grade level had at least 120 students. Baseball and Basketball were crucial for me in my early years. It was how I became acquainted with most of my friends growing up in Manteno. If it wasn’t for competing on a team, I would have stayed timid for the rest of my life. With the confidence sports have gave me, I have been able to challenge myself to experience the world and all

Born the youngest of eleven children, I looked up to my siblings my whole life, and as a result I acquired many of the same interests as them. Growing up I was always being drug to sporting events to watch my sibling compete, and when i was at home there was sure to be some sort of game going on, and to say things often got a little competitive would be an understatement. As a result I starting playing sports at the youngest age I could, even if I didn’t necessarily love them at first. After playing various sports for many years though, sports became a defining part of my personality and one of my favorite things to do. Through tough practices and hours training on my own I learned the values of hard work and dedication, and was also able to meet some of the people who are my very best friends to this day.

It is a known fact that sports are a significant factor into the way of life for Americans. Families will sacrifice much of their lives to see one of the children become a professional athlete. One of those sacrifices is money. Money for some families, seems almost unlimited while for the majority of families, money is something difficult to come by. Depending on which family a child belongs to, their chances of playing college or professional ball is drastically different. The world of high school sports is becoming more financially demanding than ever because camp prices are rising at an overwhelming rate, families are acquiring debt in hope that their kid is successful, and student athletes of lower class families are not getting the head starts of upper class family athletes.

An active lifestyle was enthusiastically encouraged by my parents for their three boys to support not only physical activity and growth, but a competitive spirit, and a sense of belonging with peers from my school and the community. Through hard work and practice I played at the top level for every sport that I tried out for. What I lacked in size I made up for with heart, hustle, and passion. Consequently, my personal compensation was the pride I earned through hours of practice to develop the skills needed to perform at the highest level.

First of all, when people play sports they are able to feel like they have a family which some kids don't have. For example, “The Life of Reilly” the Gainesville players were able to get rid of their home life and trouble with the law. When they

I am a native to Virginia Beach going to Salem High School, and played multiple sports for the Sun Devils. Growing up sports was a big part of my family, which made me overcome adversity with serious knee injuries. I tore my ACL twice on the same knee, and it made me behind on the recruiting for colleges. In the end, I worked hard to get a scholarship to college in field hockey. When I was little, my dad would take me to the Admirals games, and watching the player’s movement on the ice.

Ultimately, a person’s love for the sport has to drive them to conintue playing at a collegiate level despite hours spent at practice, early morning lifts and weekends spent traveling to games. Nonetheless, many of these talented athletes end up quitting the sport they once loved. After talking to two McDaniel students, Cody Dorsey, a former baseball player, and Brittany

Three out of four American families with school-aged children have at least one playing an organized sport. By age 15, as many as 80 percent of these youngsters have quit. Even though this intensity is necessary for young athletes to develop the skills necessary to compete at college

These days, there is too much pressure on children who participate in organized sports because of the unnecessary parental involvement they experience. A growing concern amongst those involved in youth sports is that certain aspects of parental involvement become detrimental to the development and experiences of young athletes. Early emphasis on winning, making money, and the disruption of education can exceedingly affect ones desire to further participate in a sport later on in his/her life.