I decided to try because of my parents, sports, and most importantly my future. I knew that I was capable because of my past. Kindergarten through 7th grade I received straight A’s and was on the honor roll each year. What pushed me the most was my parents. I wasn’t able to do a lot of things that I wanted to do because of my grades.
Having a teammate to run alongside a runner reminds the runner of the team that is relying on him to do his best. For example, if one team member begins to step up the pace and runs well, other teammates will follow the lead. Running with a team rather than running individually makes racing more rewarding. Proof that mental strength comes from teamwork can be found within the Wando cross country team of which I am a member. This year we were the state champions.
I always challenge myself to go faster than what I’m asked for. For example, if I’m asked to hit a 4:45 on a mile I go ahead and hit a 4:40. In cross country I set some goals of my own, for example every race I have if I did not beat a runner I wanted to the next race I do and so on. I tend to become a very competitive athlete when it comes to representing my city, school and my team. All my hard work paid off at the end by getting the title of the Most Honorable Runner of the year for the city of
Drafting off of them would cause them to get tired and he could use that as an advantage. This frustrated young Prefontaine, but he tried this approach. It did not work because he did not win the race like he could of. Steve Prefontaine just kept front running and that seemed to work for him very well. Since Steve Prefontaine a.k.a.
Pistorius was born with a congenital disease that caused him to have both of his legs amputated just below his knees when he was less than a year old. He has lived the vast majority of his life without calves or feet. For many people this would be a crutch, but Oscar saw this as a challenge that could be overcome. He decided that he wanted to be an athlete, and that’s what he became. He played multiple sports when he was young, and eventually realized that he excelled at sprinting even without lower legs and decided that he would focus on the sport.
This year playing football for Springfield is not the same as last year in high school because I’m not as close with the people on my college team. Last year we had so many exciting games being the top team in New York. I specifically remember the game--we played St. Anthony’s to open up the season. I remember that game perfectly like it happened yesterday. St. Anthony’s usually beats us, but it’s a close game every single time.
My parents told me I had to choose either to play football or keep racing. It was a tough decision but I decided football was a better investment since I might have a chance to get my college schooling paid for by a scholarship. My sophomore and junior year I wasn’t that good of a player, not being the strongest or toughest. I knew my senior year was my time to shine but knew I had a lot of work to do. My best friend and I promised each other to train as hard as we could for 9 months to become the best.
Images were racing wild through my mind as I thought about my teammates going to battle without me. I had played with some of these guys since we were in eighth grade, and when they needed me the most, all I could do is sit and cheer. I hated the feeling of helplessness, but at the same time I knew I had to do what little I could do, well. It was two days until the first game of my junior year in high school football season. My team and I were going to play St. Rita, a battle we had persistently prepared for since the last game of our sophmore year.
My experiences as a junior changed my entire outlook on my role as a student athlete and caused me to reevaluate my perspective on the things that were important to me. When school started on August 26, and all my teachers began to give daily quizzes based on the summer readings, I knew I was in trouble. I started to fall behind due to the amount of time required to complete each assignment, and I had to complete it for all four of my classes. I knew I wasn’t off to a good start of the school year. I was told that when you become a junior that’s when everything starts to get harder and you have to buckle down meaning no time for friends and really no weekend because it was going to require a lot of work, but I was sure that if I got through middle school, 9th and 10th grade that it would be no different than any other grade level class that I had taken already and passed.
The reason for this was that I was not used to the concept of getting homework every day. Since I am now a junior in high school and I have already experience the concept of getting homework every day, I have learned to cope with the difficulties it presents. A similarity that my sophomore year and my junior year share is the fact that I am a student athlete. In these past two years I was a member of the varsity football at St. Mary’s. Being a part of the football program here at St. Mary’s I am expected to live up to a great tradition of winning, so I place an immense pressure on to my shoulders as I gradually become a part of the great history at Saint Mary’s.