In a world of homecoming, friday night lights, and school spirit; my classmates and I are reaching the finale of our high school musical. Stressed seniors have exchanged their elementary school fantasy futures of ballet and astronomy for the hopes of making a living, not a life. The bell is about to ring and I’m contemplating what I want to carry to my next class and on with my life. My high school years as an athlete have greatly differed from my peers due to my elevated level of dedication and commitment for my craft. While my classmates soaked in complacency, I yearned for greatness. Fast forward to senior year and my life has been lavished with practices, weightlifting, agility training, tournaments, and games 52 weeks a year- my freshman dream as a reality. I became always “available” to get my name out in the volleyball world, sacrificing my time with friends and family as a consequence. Eventually, I reached a point where I lost my identity and my medals no longer made me proud of how far I came. …show more content…
After a childhood of attending church bi-annually and struggling through basic communion classes, a fellow volleyball player dragged me to youth group. I was welcomed into a community full of a certain happiness that captivated me as much as elite athletics and brought out my true character. Ironically, spending more time building myself as an individual off the court only made me stronger as an athlete, making myself more focused on turning my goals into realities. I find myself more confident and capable of leadership, taking up various role model positions in my church community and on the