Reaching My Full Potential Essay

I've always been the odd man out on any sports team who looked forward to conditioning at the end of practice and would hold my plank an extra few seconds until I really felt the pain. I loved pushing myself beyond my expected limits and the satisfaction of leaving the gym knowing I gave my full effort. Although the thought of taking a weight lifting class was extremely intimidating, I acknowledged my deep love for training and bettering myself.

When I first moved to Bend from New Jersey two years ago, I tried out for the Bend F.C Timbers because I played for a team like the Timbers in New Jersey. I soon realized the people on the team and in Bend, were in a lot better shape than I was. Because of this I didn't want to be on the team because I was afraid I couldn't keep up. A year and a half later I tried out for them again even though I wasn't in the best shape. I knew if I played for them, I would become in good shape. I tried out and I made it. I have been playing on this team for about 3 months and I am already seeing a difference. This is perseverance because I knew for the first few months it would be difficult because of the shape I was in, but I did it anyway because with that hard work came great

Along with working hard to make the team I wanted to be on most, once I was on the team, I learned that I can’t always control everything. Being knocked down through the seasons, I have less desire to continue playing. “Tough love” would be an understatement on how some of the coaches have treated fellow athletes and I. Never earning a “nice work” or “good job” begins to get frustrating and you get harder on yourself as an athlete. These challenges have grown me as a person and taught me that I shouldn’t give up, no matter how hard it

I worked out everyday and practiced every chance I got. When the first day of tryouts came around again, I woke up that morning like every other day, but I knew today was different. I knew that today was the day I was going to redeem myself. When I got to the field most of the guys looked familiar, a few of them even joked around with me and asked "you're back for more?" Unlike the previuos year, I was ready for this tryout. I proved to everyone that doubted me and said I couldn't and I earned my spot on that team. The moment I saw my name on the team's roster was one of my proudest

I first met Coach Baker in junior high when she coached me in volleyball. I never excelled at the sport, so I was on the B Team, but I always admired that she cared and pushed us just as hard as she pushed the better players. In high school, it was never any different. My freshman

This really showed my i had to change as a person with my work ethic and being a better teammate. From freshman year to senior year, i have changed in a very great way. I find myself staying after to help kids get looks from the coaches during open gyms and mentoring them because i was once in there shoes. I'll take the time to hit ground balls to them to show off their skills and hit fly balls to show how they can track a ball. But when we go inside and hit i'll be the only one in the cages throwing live to the guys that want a chance to hit. I am the type of person that will let others take the glory and shine because i know that i will get the satisfaction of seeing them grow into a better person as well from that. Being a part of a program that is all about he respect for one another has taught me some valuable life lessons. I wasn't much of the respect kind of person back when i started, in fact all i would do was care for myself and my own actions. But being my fourth year in the program it has taught me how to give respect and gain

We grinded for the next 6 months until school was out. Some of us lifting twice a day trying to gain an edge on the other teams so we wouldn't have to suffer the same fate as the past year. When summer came around we headed back down to Colorado for our annual football camp. This year Cullen, Luke Max, Emmitt, Clay, and me rode down in coach G’s Suburban instead of going down on the bus. This was so much better than riding the bus. We were able to make more stops and the seats were really comfortable. The whole way down we were cracking jokes, talking about different stuff, and making fun of Cullen and his foolish comments on how Trump was going to “Make America Great Again” This was by far the best trip to CSU I had been on. After returning from CSU we got back into the weight room. When we started two a days this year the energy was different from years past. This year everyone was hyped for them. We all knew we were the best and we were going to prove it this

Joining a new club soccer team coupled with almost daily workouts allowed me to improve my skills in the offseason. The feeling of going into tryouts being so prepared allowed a new level of confidence to emerge in myself. With only two starting spots open, working hard from the very start was necessary in order for me to prove myself to coach. After making the team again, I knew giving my best effort couldn’t end here. I showed up to practices with a positive attitude, always ready to work hard. When the preseason scrimmages, long practices, and exhausting fitness checks were over, the feeling of having earned a starting spot was incredibly satisfying. Now, not only am I working hard to keep up my starting spot, but I am hoping my attitude will rub off on everyone and make the team stronger. Afterall, soccer is a team sport; and the possibility of winning a state title in the near future adds to my ambition to perform well for my teammates every time I step on the field.

I was an incoming freshman, two weeks prior to my first day of high school, and I was terrified. I knew that I loved the sport of football, however I had heard stories from my brother about how tough Stepinac’s freshman football coach was. Everything that I was told was true. One of the coaches great lessons that he taught me was that a hardworking disciplined team is typically more successful than a team that has all of the talent in the world, but is not disciplined and does not work hard. That summer was the hardest that I had ever worked up to that point to start in a football game. The hard work never paid off, and I left at the end of that season defeated. I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t fast enough, and I wasn’t strong enough. I had only played in two of the games, one, for a snap when

my strength and tenacity seemed to pay off. My freshman year I kept up with some of the best players on

I started taking tumbling classes to work and improve my skills. During the summer, I started all star cheer which greatly improved my skills. That taught me that people I don't know can become your best friend. Also I learned how to handle disappointments and being replaced better. Throughout the season I grew a lot, I learned many new skills. During competition season I learned to never give up. Even though I could barely breath, I had to give all my effort. If my team wanted to win we had to work as one. If one person was struggling, we all were. We were united as

It was opening night for our football team, a chilly night in September against one of our rivals, the Nickerson Panthers. The stands were packed like a can of sardines. Our team had been ruling the scoreboard all night, but now the panthers were in the red zone threatening to score. Three years ago we wouldn’t have had a chance against this team, but now we had the upper hand. Through the weightlifting program and improvement of team building, success is inevitable. Our football team is a great example of how hard work and great leadership not only pull a group of kids, but also a whole community together.

I had devoted my entire off-season to attending camps and working out. I switched to a more competitive club league that included the best teams in the country. When the season began, I fought hard to keep my head straight and prove that I deserved a spot on the field. By mid-season I had I earned the starting center midfielder position.

As soon as I joined the team, I made new friends and had lots of new workouts I have never done before that were tremendously hard. For example, one specific workout I can remember that was super hard fell on a Thursday. That Thursday was a repeat day which means you keep doing the same thing over and over again until the amount you have to do is up. We had to do 18 400’s with 45 seconds of rest. If you did not stay above or below three seconds of your goal, coach would tell you to stop the workout because you're not trying your best. Talk about puking after practices and sweat dripping down your face and back! When I joined the team, we were eligible to go to nationals all over the United States. So throughout the time I was on the private team, I went to nationals for cross country five times and went to nationals for track and field four times just during my three years in middle

As a child and even as a teenager one tends to make dreams and set goals for life. On occasion these goals are far stretched and sometimes even fairy-tale like, we tend to see life through a rose-colored glass, not taking into account the many sidetracks life throws our way. At that stage in life our goals tend to be less focused and somewhat unreachable. However, the process of growing up, or maturing, tends organized and center our goals, we learn to make compromises and set goals for our goals. There are different types of goals, short term and long term. I have learned to separate the many goals I have into three main categories: family, professional and personal.