For as long as I can remember, I have been an athlete. That was my identity from the day I was old enough to play sports. I started out doing gymnastics when I was three years old and then added soccer a year later. In elementary school, I added basketball and tennis to the mix. In 7th grade I tried field hockey and lacrosse. By the time high school came along, I had decided that field hockey would be my main sport and I would play collegiately. I loved field hockey more than I loved most people. I played for hours every single day. My typical day consisted of waking up, going to school, playing field hockey, and going to bed. Sure, I was involved in some clubs and I did well in school, but most people knew me as the field hockey girl. On …show more content…
All of the hard work I had put in finally paid off. Fast forward to the fall of my freshman year of college, I was thriving. I ended up starting as a freshman, and was so proud to be able to call myself a student athlete. Every time I put on my uniform I was overcome with an intense wave of pride. From the moment I stepped on campus, I was instantly labeled as an athlete. Everything I did at college revolved around field hockey. I scheduled my classes around field hockey, I went to field hockey practice, I ate meals with my team, I lived with my team, and I wore clothes that publicized my status as an athlete. Just like in high school, I was known as the field hockey girl.
By the time I prepared to leave for my sophomore year, something had changed. I no longer smiled uncontrollably as I drove up to the field hockey field. I started checking my watch every five minutes counting down the minutes till practice was over. I no longer got butterflies in my stomach on game day. I no longer cared. I lost interest “the way you fall asleep; slowly and then all at once.” I started questioning why I was even playing field hockey. I debated quitting, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t disappoint the people around me. So many people had put time and energy into helping me get to where I was. Everyone was constantly telling me how proud they were of me. I was constantly reminded of the fact that I was an athlete and that was how everyone saw me. By the time my sophomore season came to
Sports has always been a huge part of my life. I would be the one team player who took the sports season a little bit too seriously. I was the number 1 doubles player on my school's JV tennis team. Unfortunately, I fractured my ankle during my junior year and wasn't able to play with my team. I was devastated, but I didn’t allow myself to become disconnected from my team. I became the team manager to allow myself to still play a role in my team, despite my injury. I would record scores to my division leaders and take pictures to post on the website I created for my team. After the season was over, my doctor told me my ankles required surgery to become fully healed. I knew that meant I couldn’t continue to play tennis, but I didn’t want to give
I go to an all-boys high school that has a reputation both for its academics and athletics; therefore, it attracts many strong athletes. The first day of tryouts I couldn’t believe how many people were there. Although I thought I had some talent, there were a lot of talented players and I did not make the team. I was very disappointed. One of the reasons I chose my high school was because I hoped to play on their hockey team. Because I did not make my schools team, I could enter the player pool of the High School Hockey League of Nassau County. I was very fortunate to be picked up by a new team. I didn’t know anyone on the team, but I decided to make the best of it. I have had four great years of high school and travel hockey, and have made many great and lasting friendships. If I had a similar experience in college, I would try something new. I look forward to all the new opportunities both academically and socially that University of Delaware can
It gave me a sense of pride when my dad would come into the back yard and tell me how accurate and powerful my shots were becoming. At this point I wasn't conforming, I actually truly loved the sport. Near the end of the elementary, I was put into so many soccer camps, forced to attend so many soccer games so my dad could show me how the pros played. I was told one day I, just like Jei Ming would be destined for greatness. I was starting to become aggravated and burnt out. I no longer had the same passion for it as I did when I was younger. I had formed a new love, and that was for hockey. I wanted to play hockey so badly, I cried the Christmas my parents bought me my first pair of hockey skates. I figured finally I was breaking through, however that spring like every other one since I was 4, my dad signed me up for multiple camps. Like Jei Ming I saw how proud my parents were when I would step onto a soccer pitch and score multiple goals a game. I could see the pride in their eyes, their faces would glow. Although Jei Ming was forced to learn and play the piano, all these soccer games were just like a recital for me. I could see that my parents were envisioning me on the biggest soccer
Athletic identity has been defined as the extent to which a person identifies with his or her athletic role (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993). In addition, it has been recognized as a significant determinant of adjustment to
I felt my heart racing as I imagined making the top team in the club. I knew right then and there that I was going to try out for the team as soon as I discussed it with my parents. After my parents’ approval, I went to the first tryout with high expectations and aspirations. The tryout was going well at first; my skill was evident on the ice. I was making quick passes and skating hard. I will never forget the fateful pass that happened next. I remember the play in slow motion. I passed the puck through the center ice, a precarious move, but it was intercepted by the opposing team and as a result they scored a swift goal. Groans from the other players could be heard and my heart sank. That pass would determine my fate. After the tryout, I undressed slowly replaying the pass repeatedly in my head. Coach Ruben walked out of his office with the list of players who made the team in his hand. As he posted the list on the bulletin board, all the eager players ran over, examining the list of names. I stared at at the list for what seemed like an eternity searching for my name, but it was not there. I stifled my disappointment and followed my parents out to the car. To my ten year old self, my dreams were crushed and I assumed my hockey career was over before it even
Balancing my academic priorities with my love of field hockey has taught me that I know myself well enough to take on difficult tasks. My experiences thus far in life have given me an appreciation and understanding of how to best challenge and organize myself in a way that helps me to succeed in my endeavors. I know that I will be able to translate these abilities into my future academic pursuits and my professional life. Field hockey will continue to help me to grow, de-stress, and maintain
My accomplishment of making the varsity lacrosse team has given me a new understanding of myself. 11.34 My journey began during my freshman year when I was a member of the JV lacrosse team. At the end of the season, the coaching staff called up a select group of individuals from the JV team to play for the varsity team in the playoffs.17.65 Unfortunately, I was not one of the players afforded the opportunity. 11.14When I got home that day, I told myself that I would never let that happen again and that I would do everything in my power to make the varsity team the following year. 13.98 As a result, that summer I worked extremely hard to improve my stick skills with my travel team and went to various tournaments where I competed against kids who were much better than me.15.02 1)However, as the summer ended, it was football season and I had to put my lacrosse training on hold so that I could focus on football. 2)Midway through the football season, I unfortunately suffered my third concussion
All my life, I have participated in sports. I ran track and cross country, and played volleyball, basketball, and softball. After all those years in multiple sports, I acquired endless amounts of participation trophies, medals and ribbons. These awards were given to me in hopes that I would continue to engage myself in the sport or to feel like my contributions to the team mattered. The adults might have even hoped I would fall in love with the sport. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I ended up quitting all of those sports excluding softball going into high school. I was not even that bad of a player. I actually was on the A team for a majority of the teams.
It was the first day of tryouts, and I could feel my stomach knotting up, as I got dressed alone in the locker room. I could hear the shouting of thirty, twelve-year-old boys in the locker room next to mine, and a heavy ball formed in my throat as my eyes began to tear up from the fear and anxiety of tryouts building up all at once. I was twelve-years-old heading into my first day of tryouts for the Edina boys Peewee hockey team, what would have been my first day of tryouts for the Edina girl’s U12 hockey team if my dad hadn’t forced me to leave behind what had been my worst year in girls hockey just the previous year. In the Edina youth hockey association, by rules, you must go through two years of U10s and then two years of U12 and so on
Lacrosse may be the single most impactful force in my life. I have come to define myself through my involvement with the sport. I do not consider myself a natural athlete; I have had to work very hard to earn every achievement in lacrosse. For the past six years, I have continued to set my aspirations higher and increase my effort to achieve my goals. I have applied what I have learned from lacrosse to many other aspects of my life: I am now an A level student at one of the most academically rigorous high schools in the country, I am an active participant and in my school’s rock band, acapella group, and jazz band, and I am a committed member of my school’s wrestling team.
It was my sophomore year, and the day had come to find out who made the varsity lacrosse team. We piled into the locker room to discover rows of brand new helmets. The list of the varsity players was written on the whiteboard. The team was excited, the locker room buzzing with noise. My heart dropped as I realized that my name wasn’t written there. My friends were admiring their new helmets and I had to hold back tears and disappointment. I know now that I still had to be developed at the junior varsity level, but it wasn’t easy to understand back then. At practice that day, I played out of pure spite, every move filled with rage. You aren’t good enough, I thought. I left practice that day without saying goodbye to my friends.
Bennett Cohn, a sophomore at Quince Orchard High School, likes to have fun with his friends, and plays sports such as hockey and lacrosse. Cohn has practically been playing sports since he could walk: “I’ve been playing hockey for 9 years and lacrosse for 7 years.” Although Cohn describes himself as mellow and shy, he has, “a more upbeat personality once [he] is more comfortable around people.” As a hockey player, Cohn has achieved many goals. “I have several hockey accomplishments,” Cohn states, “I am the captain of my hockey team and we won a tournament to go play in Canada, and that’s only this year.” As much as Cohn enjoys playing hockey, he also loves watching it. Cohn’s favorite hockey team is the Washington Capitals simply because, “they’re
I've been playing sports for about ten years, and always had quite the passion for it. I have play a couple sports, I played baseball for four years and i wrestled for about four also. Then i got into rodeo i've been riding horses ever since i was for but never really did much competing until i was around seven
At the start of high school my life began to take a turn. Up to that point my life had been predictable. I had the same friends, played the same sport, and was still an introverted person. My life was bland. Baseball is what I grew up playing throughout my childhood. It was that sport I looked forward to practicing, playing, and enjoying. As I started to get older, the people and coaches I played with changed. I began to play less, and wasn’t improving every week like I had hoped. I even tried out for the school team, but I was cut. For these reasons, my dedication to this sport was deteriorated. Trying out for the school team wasn’t what I wanted to do, but it’s what I presumed everyone expected of me. Once I ran passed this realization, I stopped playing baseball. This is not how I envisioned the future.
To be an athlete, especially one of the three sport variety, is a huge undertaking, as it requires year-round commitment and a passion for hard work. Personally, I have played consistently in three sports since the fifth grade, and I believe this lifelong dedication has paid off for me. It’s impossible to put all of your energy into being an athlete, because while becoming successful in sports is one thing, it is an entirely more important matter to become a successful student. Balancing this can be hard and it is that balance which must be perfected in order to become a good athlete. An athlete to me isn't just someone who straps on their jersey and plays a game, it is a person who is dedicated to a sport on and off the field, and someone who exemplifies the best qualities in their environment.