I have attended four different high schools in four years. I have always participated in sports throughout high school. Although after school activities have made a huge impact on my high school career, none have been more of an influence than football. I played football alongside numerous teammates and coaches, and was taught valuable life lessons for use on and off of the field.
When I joined the football team my freshman year, I did not fully understand what I was getting into. Even though I watched football on television, I had no idea how much work was truly required for the sport. I worked vigorously for the duration of the summer in the weight room, and on the track, to achieve peak physical and mental shape before the season. Waking up daily at six in the
…show more content…
We would push our minds by running as hard as we could, and lifting as heavily as possible, even if we felt like we were about to faint. I could still hear my coach yelling, “Maintain Mental Toughness!” as I sit here and write. Everyone gets tackled. It does not matter how heavily you are hit, but how you rise up that matters. Using this philosophy outside of football has allowed me to persevere through difficult circumstances. Despite moving frequently and its distractions, “Maintaining Mental Toughness,” is what I drew from football to remain dedicated to my schoolwork.
During my junior year, my coach habitually preached to the team “It is not about getting a touchdown every single play, it is about marching down the field and measuring the progress as you go.” To me this means that if I am setting a goal, I must have steps to reach my aspiration. My intention is to be successful, and the first step of doing that is doing well in school, so that I can earn my place in a university. I am a mentally tough person, so when I set my mind to a task, I will complete