Tennis Personal Statement

I have always played sports. Softball, soccer, and swimming before I started kindergarten, later, basketball and volleyball. My passion is and always has been softball. I love competing and being able to make friendships and memories with my teammates that will last a lifetime.

While looking through the three lenses of family, biogenetic, sociolegal, and role lens, it is very hard to limit yourself to only agree with one. However, while studying these three ideas I have come to the consensus that the most prominent and practical lens to look through is the sociolegal lens. Although one cannot discredit the family values of others, throughout my lifetime I have experienced sociolegal family lifestyles. An area in my life that I have seen this lens play a huge role is throughout my tennis career. A unique experience that I have been able to be apart of throughout my college adventure revolves around Mizzou athletics. Playing tennis here at the University has been one of the most rewarding

As a member of the PGTEF, we were required to memorize what was called “The PGTEF Pledge.” The pledge speaks about how we are to portray ourselves, and how we must behave in all aspects of life, on and off the court. PGTEF participants were taught many lessons, such as becoming involved in community activities. Participants were given the opportunity to do this through assisting the coaches during the summer. While assisting the coaches, our jobs were to teach younger players the fundamental of tennis, as well as teaching them the lessons that the sport entails, such as self-confidence, courage, respect for one another, and sportsmanship. This value remained with me through the years. As a result these activities, I began to become more involved in my community by volunteering. I became a docent and Teen Ambassador for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, a member of the Teen Advisory Publishing Council, and graduated from the Leadership Prince George’s County Emerging Leaders program. The lessons and values that were taught to me during my time in the Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation are priceless, and I believe that they were essential to everything I have accomplished, and will accomplish in my

Over the last two years of my High School education, I found the extracurricular activities I fit in the most. I am part of Student Council, National Honor Society and a member of the tennis team. They all have molded me to be the best. However, I feel like tennis has impacted me the most. It’s a sport that has taught me so much, from being physically fit, to mentally prepared for any outcome. I learned that a game it’s not about winning or losing, but about how it’s played, and what it took to get there. Being in a team is about contributing others, and learning from them. It’s about accepting that we all make mistakes, and only practice can reduce the times we make them. So many loses and few victories, but I always preferred to sheer my

My goal of becoming one of the nation’s top club managers has evolved from my first job when I was 11 years old, picking up golf balls and cleaning golf cars at my local golf course to currently holding the position of PGA Golf Professional at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. The golf professionals who I have worked for have been influential in many of my large life decisions. When it came to choosing a university and major my golf professional recommended I investigate at a major in Professional Golf Management. With my passion for golf and my six years of experience working at golf courses the PGA Golf Management major at Florida State University (FSU) was a great fit for me.

Always willing to adapt to any given situation, I aspire to make things as convenient as possible for everyone. I have been an avid team member the varsity tennis team all throughout my high school years. Consistently playing mixed doubles with my partners all being upperclassmen, I had reached the point where I became the partner-less upperclassman. In need of a new partner, my coach and I discussed potentials, but reached no solid conclusion. Aware of a new tennis team member, an incoming sophomore, my coach turned to me as a guide and mentor to help him feel comfortable.

As a member of the Varsity tennis team, I am no stranger to facing what seem to be impossible odds. Being a singles player, during a match it is all on me to figure out what is going wrong and make the adjustments to fix it. Halfway through a match, I found myself down one set to none against the seventh ranked team in the state. The break in between sets is time to reflect on the same thus far, and to think about what you are doing right and what you aren’t doing so well. At this point in the game, I was down on myself and I couldn’t get anything in my arsenal of shots going. Instead of continuing to try to hit shots that I hadn’t hit all game, I decided to go back to the basics and try to gain some confidence in my shots. My main goal was

Making long lasting friendships in tennis has helped me grow out of my comfort zone. I talk to people that maybe I would not before. I learned more about myself than ever before. For example, I learned what kind of people I truly enjoy being around and what influences I want around me before college. As I learn to expand my friendship groups, I also understand how much easier it is to make new friends. Now I definitely know that it will not be difficult in college. My friends have helped me through some of the toughest times in my life, not only about tennis but also school and family.

For most of my life (about 14 years), I have been an avid tennis player. I have great admiration for the sport because it facilitates the development of leadership, self-discipline and problem-solving skills. When I am on the tennis court, it

I played tennis through junior high school. I hated running. Because I tired running easily. But I like plaing tennis. Because I am not tired playing tennis. But I limited body power when I became high school. As soon as, I began body power training. It seems that I am fine begin body power training. Because I was stong tennis. Also, I am useful on the life because I began body power training. Now, I continuing body power

Tennis has always played a significant role in my life as well as my commitment to my community, academics and as a part of my future goals. Ever since the age of six, I have absolutely adored the game of tennis. I honestly cannot explain my genuine attraction to the sport, although I know that I would not be the tenacious and goal-oriented young lady I am today if it was not for my participation in the Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation. PGTEF is a community tennis association that provides the opportunity for children of all ages to succeed academically and athletically through tennis.

Through experiences of playing sports and pursuing academics for the past three years, I found it always difficult to balance school and athletics. Coming home from practice or matches, eating dinner, showering, and doing homework until three in the morning seemed like a constant, repeating cycle. I always caught myself drowsing during class, but still having the capacity to pay attention, take notes, and complete tasks. Despite the struggle of stabilizing schoolwork and sports, I was aware of the fact that I aspired to play tennis, especially since I enjoyed playing with my father every weekend. Playing tennis for many years, my dad was a main reason why I took interest in enduring the sport. Although my father and I played for fun, I witnessed his motivation, perseverance, and dedication to the sport while playing, whether it was playing against amatuer me, or competing with others who ranged from adequate to professional. In addition, my team has been a major motivational factor throughout the years that I have played tennis. From singing to High School Musical during practice to cheering each other on during games, they have always been a fun and supportive aspect of my

I still recall the many hours spent as a kid hitting a tennis ball against the drywall in my empty garage. Tennis has inspired much of my intrinsic growth since then, both socially and mentally, developing two core values that I continue to adhere to today: persistence and making a substantial impact. Consistently pushing through situations in which I have struggled has contributed to my persistence and my desire to excel, whether as a professional tennis coach or as an aspiring physician in a medical care facility. I have come to learn that with people in general, there is really no losing; everyone has something they want or need that makes them tick, and throughout my tennis coaching career, I have found that the more you are able to understand people’s wants or needs, the more influential you can be for them.

“Great accomplishments start with great aspirations.”- Gary Hamel. Tennis is my passion, life, and aspiration. To be accepted into the Marshall High School Tennis Team is a goal I’m inspired to accomplish. This ambition is something I’ve been working towards for a long time. If I get in, I feel like my life would actually be worth something. Being on the team has so many positive aspects; it seems to be calling my name. A position on the team will make my family and coach proud, help me become a worthier player, and prepare me for college.

All year, I had thought about hearing these words, walking down the halls, being high-fived. All year, I had imagined the title. “Varsity tennis player.” That day, though, walking down that hall, I wasn’t being congratulated. I wasn’t being high-fived, called out, or clapped for. We were being clapped for. I realized that it wasn’t about walking down the hall, it was being a part of the Northern Tennis Team that was special. Surrounding me were the men, the brothers, the family that was our tennis team. These were the same men that played through years of tennis camps with me, had lost blood, sweat and tears on these same courts, and had taught each other