Reflective Essay: I Am Not On The Best Team

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

As I put off opportunities to improve my skills, and my character, the toll only became harsher and more difficult to overcome. In turn, my status among the other athletes began to deteriorate. Witnessing my peers expedite their game as I still struggled did not phase me so much at the time. In fact, I was sure that my role on the team would remain the same. This was obviously false, as within the matter of weeks I was pushed back further in the batting lineup, and committing more errors in the field than ever before. It was during our playoff run that I had realized the resulting detriment, when each player was counted on more than ever before. We ended up making it to the championship, only being one run short of winning. Although our team was able to accomplish that much, I felt short handed when it came to the successful

Most people view failure as a mistake and respond poorly by thinking less of themselves and giving up. It is my belief that failure is a life lesson that can help one make his or her life better in the future. In the past, I have experienced failure in soccer by not making the starting varsity team in my junior year. I was eager for the high school season to start and the chance to play soccer at the varsity level. After a long week of excruciating tryouts the head coach told me I would not have much playing time on the varsity team, but he gave me the option of playing as a starter on junior varsity. When I was given the news I was seriously disappointed to hear that my other friends were offered positions on the varsity team and I was not. After thinking about the choices I had been given, I decided that I would rather work hard and develop my skills with the varsity squad during practices. While, I was not looking forward to riding the bench for the season, I felt that the higher level of competition in practice would give me the opportunity to be a better player in my senior year. I also felt that I had positive assets and skills to offer the

Growing up in a large family and a busy lifestyle as an athlete has shaped me into who I have become today. My life has been about being the best student, athlete, teammate, brother, son, employee and husband I can possibly be. Being involved in various sports with several different teams, going away to school, getting married have all been big parts of life for me some newer than others but all big in their own way. My life has always been about fighting through adversity to achieve a common goal at no matter what the cost getting to the finish line is something that must be achieved no matter the circumstances. Growing up I was always taught to work hard to achieve your goals no matter what it takes quitting is not an option. If you get yourself in to something and commit it’s up to you to finish what you started. Growing up in a big household with four brothers and sisters there was never a dull moment as something was always happening. It was enjoyable to grow up with so many personalities in my house it taught me how to deal with different issues that others face each day, and to always take others into consideration when making decisions. Being the second youngest in the family I saw my older siblings move out and took it upon myself to be the role-model for my youngest sister and show her that if you make smart and rational decisions good things come from doing so.

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

It was my senior year of high school football and all I could do was sit on the bench with an injury. It was so frustrating because all I wanted to do was be on the field playing with my brothers like I have since freshman year. I was just so happy to be on the field on those Friday nights and just get to play the game made me so happy when I first started playing. Until I got a big head and started thinking about myself and what I was going do that game or how many touchdowns I was going to score that game. I stopped thinking about the team because of my success. I think this might be a lesson I needed to learn and if I did not, I would have had a big head my whole senior year and never would have saw the real reasons why I loved playing

As you go through life there are many things that shape you as a person, many things that you learn and grow from. I have experienced all of these from one thing, hockey. I started skating when I was about 4 years old, persuaded into the sport by my dad, who came from a big hockey family. I was so young I do not remember my first reaction to it or if I even liked it, but there must have been a reason that I stuck with it. Hockey has caused me much stress and tribulation but every second of pain is worth the reward.

Over the next few years, I worked extremely hard to learn my position. I took private lessons, I skated extra practices, attended camps, watched videos and anything else I thought might help raise my skill level. Each year I got better and advanced to higher level teams. I even got the opportunity to train with one of the greatest goaltenders ever to play the game. Right before my freshman year in high school, my family relocated back to Texas and we arrived in College Station. While there was a local hockey team, it was not at the level I was playing and the closest team was in Dallas. Twice a week, my parents drove me over three hours each way for practices after school and then we traveled virtually every weekend for games. Sometimes we played in Dallas, other times we flew to tournaments in Chicago, Detroit and Boston. The travel was exhausting and my grades suffered a little as I tried adjusting to the rigors of high school with my hockey schedule. By my sophomore year, I was offered a position on a national travel team based in New Hampshire. In order to join this team, I would have to move away from home, living with a host family and attend a virtual high school. At fifteen years old, this was a great learning experience, but a little scary and a significant sacrifice. I had to be organized to handle online

At that moment I realized that I had to add something to my game in order to stand out. I soon learned that practice and physicality could only make me better. Freshman year came around and i didn't have a coach that was willing to support me and help me develop into the player i know i am today. Its been a whirlwind of emotions with all the pain and failure I've experienced since my freshman year, when i watched the team go 4-11, To say the least i didn't get a single game but that only taught me to fight harder for what i wanted. Sophomore year came around, and with that a new coaching staff that gave me an opportunity to shine from day one. At the beginning of my sophomore season i thought i wasn't meant to be a goalkeeper, so i switched to attack, after a few games, i didn't like it and my coach could see that i was frustrated not being able to settle in. During a game against Flanagan High School, our goalie let in two goals in a matter of seconds, and our coach

“There’s always something in the game you wish you would have done different. That’s why players improve, because they learn from what they did before. They might have been guessing before, but now they know.” – Gordie Howe. Gordie Howe didn’t have the best child hood but hockey for sure made up for the rough times. Since Gordie Howe’s retirement kids and former NHL players want to be the best they can be even though it’s hard.

I felt like I had failed because I knew I could have done better. Although I didn't make the team I had hoped to make, I came away with lots of information about myself as a person and a field hockey player. I learned that I need to have more confidence in myself, as well as more self-esteem. Instead, of getting timid and scared because I thought everyone was better than me, I should have had confidence in my aggressiveness and skills that I have acquired over my many years of playing field hockey and the various camps that I have attended. I also learned that failure is good because it is an excuse to try harder and focus on improving my skills. I learned that to make the higher team next time I was going to have to work hard on my elimination skills, confidence, and getting open for players on the field. So, I played the whole year of indoor field hockey and every day I would work a little bit on my skills as well as my confidence in scrimmages and games. At the end of the year, I felt like I had gained a lot from my failure in that I was now a more confident player and my skills had

There’s a saying that everyone’s said at least once in their lifetime, I’m sure. It’s so cliché, but now I know that there is so much truth behind it. “Believe in yourself.” Rather than giving up on yourself, use your failures to make you better. Learn how to bounce back from adversity and learn from those experiences. This is called using your growth mindset. According to Carol Dweck, research psychologist, in her book Mindset, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” It wasn’t until the summer between my junior and senior year of high school that I learned this and of course I learned it the hard way. I had played club basketball for four summers in a row with the Longmont Rush basketball club. I loved the game of basketball and I had spent countless hours working on my skills on the court. I even wanted to play in college. I already had schools scouting me. Unfortunately, in my final season, just before my senior year, my biggest fear came true.

I was lost. At home in tears I expressed my disappointment to my mom. She brightened my spirits and helped alter my perception. We agreed it wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for, but I was going to make the most of it. Although the thought of quitting crossed my mind; I stayed instead. I was determined to be the best JV2 player I could be by taking every learning and growing opportunity to heart. I continued through the season doing my best work and trying my hardest not to be bothered that I did not get what I thought I’d earned.

Entering that room, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. As I sat there my heart dropped when I heard the words, "you made the team", "you are not going to play much", and "if you tryout next year you will not make the team". I was in such a daze as I reemerged from the room. It was as if the wind had been knocked out of me and I was having trouble understanding what had just happened. I had never felt disappointment like I did in that moment in my entire life. Soccer had been the only sport I knew for 8 years. Change had always been a struggle for me since I was little so I was aware that trying a new sport was going to be difficult. Field hockey captains practices were held during the summer, so I decided to go to one and

What is a team work? Team work can be defined as when actions of individuals are brought together for the purpose of a common goal. Each person in a team puts his efforts to achieve the objectives of large group. Teams make efforts to achieve the success but not necessarily the success is achieved every time. Within a team every member plays a role to achieve the team’s objectives. These roles add new and important dimensions to interactions of team members. Bruce Tuckman’s team development theory provides a way to tackle the tasks of making a team through the completion of the project. On the part of the team every member played an important role to achieve the success at