Personal Narrative : Graduate Selection Committee Essay

Athletic programs in college have grown tremendously since they first began years ago, and now some believe that collegiate athletics have no place in higher education. Contrary to this, if one takes a closer look they see that college athletics do play a valuable role in higher education and should continue to play a part in the college experience. Students who participate in college athletics help carry out their school’s traditions, and by competing at such a high level they have the chance to put their school on the map. While competing, these people handle the load of a full-time college student and learn to be responsible and reliable. Some see college athletics as just a business, but truly they provide an opportunity for young adults to compete in the sport that they love, while getting an education and learning lessons that will last a lifetime.

This portfolio is a compilation of my works while pursuing a Master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration. These selected works illustrate my professional development gained from this educational experience. Seeking out professional development opportunities is critical for athletic coaches and administrators because every sports program, regardless of the age or skill level, should have a qualified coach lead it. In fact, many would argue there are a moral and a legal obligation to have qualified coaches at all levels. There is a legal obligation because unqualified coaches are more likely to teach improper skills and techniques, which puts athletes at risk for injuries. Further, there is a moral obligation, as qualified coaches are more apt to understand and address the psychological and physiological developmental needs for each athlete. When a coach knows these psychological and

College level competitive sports have many beneficial factors that follow its path for students. On the top of the list is leadership development. Once in the real world where you have to take initiative at a certain job or internship to move up the ladder for the bosses watchful eyes, these skills can be developed experience from college athletics programs. "Sports are educational in the best sense of that word because they teach the participant and the observer new truths about testing oneself and others, about the enduring values of challenge and response, about teamwork, about discipline and perseverance. Above all, intercollegiate contests — at any level of skill — drive home a fundamental lesson: goals worth achieving will be attained only through effort, hard work and sacrifice, and sometimes even those will not be enough to overcome the obstacles life places in our path." (Grace Chen)

I slowly cut the heart out of the folded paper and held it up to the light. The edges were jagged and uneven; I tossed it in my growing pile of scrap paper. My hands were stained with marker and my hair was covered in glitter. It was bedtime and I was not even halfway done with the valentines for my third-grade class. I wanted my cards to look great- better than store-bought. I was so frustrated that tears welled in my eyes. The next morning, defeated, I went to CVS with my mom to buy cards. Everyone liked the Kit-Kat bars taped to the backs.

I grew up in a family that grew up in Agoura Hills, my mom, two uncles, aunt, and brother all went to Agoura High School and my grandpa is really involved in the community with the high school football team, AYSO, and pony league baseball. My brother is two grades above me and I had all of his teachers throughout elementary and middle school, even now i have some of his old art teachers. I was constantly referred to as his little sister and i really struggled with identity issues because of that. As much as I love art I couldn't really enjoy it because I felt pressured into it and I knew i would never be as good as my brother, as one of his ceramics teachers put it, “he is one of the top 1% of artists to come through this school.” I was so tired of always just being someone's daughter or niece or granddaughter and sister. I wanted to establish a place for me and be myself and sports medicine ended up being the answer to that.

You’ve been looking forward to your 4th of July…a weekend of your newly found Independence…when, just a mere two weeks ago you delivered a hand-written, heart-felt note…to You Know Who…scribbling out something like…

I used to be a fighter. I used to walk confidently, I was never afraid to kick or scream or punch. I’ve grown up in a house of loud, stubborn people with strong opinions. But one day, I started feeling dull. I don’t remember when or how it happened, really. I guess that the looks I got and the laughter from other kids across the room began to take a toll on me. So in the Summer of sixth grade I started changing. I began to wear makeup. I dyed and straightened what used to be a huge frizzy mess of orange hair. I stopped wearing color even. During my first few weeks of middle school, I quickly learned two things. One being that people like you a lot more if your pretty, and the other being that loud, bold personalities are frowned upon by my peers. So I got quieter and cowardly.

“I want to be a firefighter, construction worker, and professional race car driver when I grow up.” This was my proud childhood statement I would use when asked the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” This question in particular is one that will be asked awfully early in one’s childhood, as well as very late in a young adults final years before venturing out into the “real world”. Like many other young children, I grew up with the mindset of having a exciting, heroic, and lively job for when I got older. I dreamt of operating heavy construction machinery, saving families while extinguishing fires of a decaying building, and speeding past vibrant and heavily decalled race cars. However, as I grew older and gained more realistic

The spiraling leather football was flying at me, the crowd frozen with fear. My feet left the hard, cold ground and my hand reached up. I felt like a bull had just charged into my stomach as someone threw themselves into me, I started falling to the ground. I looked to the left while falling and made eye contact with me dad, he nodded and I looked back up with excitement flooding my body. I shot my left hand up and felt the soft leather ball rest in my hand, I grasped it with all my might and felt the grass against my feet as I landed hard against the ground and started running to the end zone. I was running so fast my feet were on fire. I dove right onto the colored grass. The silence broke with my team barbarically yelling. I looked around as my team lifted cheerfully me off my feet, my family was looking right at me, I was on my way to the NFL, my dream. WE had won the high school championships. The crowd joyfully chanting my name "Alex! Alex! Alex!"

This is a personal narrative that I wrote for my CSU application, and this piece helped me get accepted into Colorado State University. I wrote this piece completely outside of class during the first semester of my senior year. I didn’t take this to a teacher conference, but this is a piece that I am very proud of because I feel like the writing represents my person voice and not a character. However I had trouble figuring out how to put my thoughts into words, but I worked through the confusion and now my word choice flows very nicely.

I recently made the rank of Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force. A feat that

The survey proved that varsity players are better in coping up for upcoming tests because they are able to maximize their time for studying. They are also able to balance their leisure time outside the training walls. LHSAA’s news (2011) said, “Being a varsity player opens doors and preparation for life because participating in a college sport prepares you for life after graduation and can often open doors enabling you participate in the professional world. The social networks that are developed through athletics and the team building skills learned while playing a college sport can give college athletes a head-start in the business world. Having been a good leader or a good team player in college prepares you for a professional setting and makes for an attractive potential employee, not to mention the time management skills learned as well. It is noted that increasingly, the business world is focusing on creating a team environment in the workplace where people work together effectively toward a common goal and a college athlete, who has practiced this skill for years, could potentially be an ideal candidate. Overall, there is an overwhelming amount of positive impact that the experience of being a college athlete rewards. The life lessons, level of responsibility, skills learned, and connections made are proof that you are

Success is not something given its earned. It is achieved through hard work, determination, and how much someone is willing to sacrifice in order to accomplish one’s goals. Being successful comes with the territory of knowing how to balance personal life and academic life. As a college student Cecilia planned to major in business, however as her last season approached she couldn’t imagine life without the sport that had her heart (personal interview). Kellar knew it wouldn’t be easy, but knew it would all be worth it. Coach Kellar, the varsity head coach at Odessa High School, has showed time and time again true evidence of the amount of dedication and sacrifice that is needed in order to have a successful program. She believes

Marquette University has always been a school that I’ve envisioned myself going to. I first observed Marquette college life when I would go downtown with my parents as a young girl: I would see college students walking to their classes, radiating with determination and I knew that I wanted to be part of the Marquette student body. Overall, Marquette University has always stood out to me. It presents itself to be a stimulating environment with desirable features, from the plethora of different majors to its urban environment, it is a stimulating place that I can definitely see myself at for all my college years.

With only one month left until the prestigious AP Calculus exam, I sat at my wooden desk, diligently memorizing and practicing endless problems in preparation; my dim lamp casting a small portion of light across my notebook. My body was at a constant struggle, my eyes were intermittently flickering from forcing myself awake, while my fuzzy slippers soothed my stress and allowed me to feel a bit more comfortable. I knew I had to receive a high score on this exam, as if it was a life or death situation. I was determined, motivated and dedicated to succeed no matter the circumstances. In short, I was ambitious.