Name: Sarah Leukel
Category: High School
Dr. Parker’s Quote: Inspirational Advice for Daily Living
It is always too soon to quit.
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Essay:
The whole school was in the bleachers looking down at the field where a small group of students stood proudly, holding their gleaming trophies. The football team’s coach had just handed out the last end of the year award and the crowd was cheering for the athletes who had received special recognition. Soccer was next. I was hopeful, but not at all sure that my name would be called for anything. I was only a sophomore and already on the varsity team, which really was honor enough I tried to tell myself as I sat on my hands to keep them from trembling nervously. I had started playing soccer only a few years earlier, and I loved it from the start.
Soccer was an outlet for the energy I had kept pent up for years, so it was perhaps no surprise that I threw myself into it so whole heartedly once I discovered how much fun it was. I had always excelled academically, and I figured that if I balanced my time wisely I might have a chance to excel in this sport as well if I applied the same kind of focused effort I used to master my scholastic work to the skills I needed to succeed on the soccer field. In high school these girls had all been playing together for years and knew one and other’s capabilities well, so I knew I had a lot of catching up to do.
The coach took a chance on me in the beginning of the 10th grade and offered me a place on the varsity team. I was determined to prove him right in believing in my spirit and drive so in addition to the normal number of hours we all had to practice, I always stayed after to practice that much more, studied the strengths and weaknesses of my teammates, and trained in the gym to ensure I was in peak physical condition. I knew I had improved my skill set dramatically due to this concentrated effort, and my whole team appreciated my commitment. We had had a strong year and won many games, and here we sat now waiting to hear whose names would be called to come down and accept the trophies that were waiting on the field. I clapped for my teammates as our coach began calling the first couple of names, and when he got to Most Improved Player, the award that would mean the most to me considering my effort; I heard my name felt a rush of joy. As I walked down through my classmates to get to the field, hearing the clapping and feeling the pats on my back, I was proud of the effort I had put in over the past year. Playing soccer has taught me valuable lessons about the importance of commitment and teamwork, and I fully expect to apply what I have learned to my college experience
