I contributed patience to the team because when I could not get a dance down I did not give up. I just kept trying over and over again. This showed the girls how to deal with tough situations. Also, the girls loved my personality because I helped them do whatever was needed to prepare us for games. I did not know much about the sport when I first joined the squad because it was my first year cheering, so; therefore I contributed to the team by being a new member with my own new and unique style.
With determination and perseverance, I made it through the dance moves perfectly. I was proud and overjoyed, because I didn’t miss a single step! Now all I had to do was see if the judges liked my performance. A week later, I received an email explaining that I had qualified for the team! All that practice and hard work had paid off!
My goal for my freshman year, my twelfth year as a gymnast, was to become a world champion. I worked hard every day at practice and went the extra mile, like stretching and working my body every second I was not in the gym, using tables as balance beams and doing my floor routines in the grass, just to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the arena, surrounded by thousands of fans and spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time my coach would say “one more time.” When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting as other competitor’s names were called out, one by one, until finally, the voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2009 world champion, from Style Gymnastics, Madaline Schneider." It was the visions like these that drove me to work harder every day. As the season progressed, the gymnastics meets started getting fiercer.
Memory Essay It was my junior year of high school and I was offered an opportunity to play in a small jazz combo through the “Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.” The person who was over the program at our school was a talented vocalist by the name of Lisa Henry. She came to our jazz band class about a week before the program started. She was very professional and pretty loud. I’d never met Mrs. Lisa before then and I already didn’t like her. I hadn’t planned on doing the jazz program but just kind of fell into it.
We trained everyday after class for dribbling, passing, shooting, blocking, screening, free throwing. In addition to these basic skills, we also practiced a lot on tactics; for instance, pick and roll, zone defense, give and go, fast break and backdoor cut. All of us were so fully absorbed and enjoyed in these practices that we did not stop until it
Silvia is always ready to take charge and get started on conditioning and warm-up activities. Her peers in class and on the field respect look up to her. She spends countless hours at Lake View as a student-athlete inspiring others. Silvia has also helped with tutoring, fund raising, field trips, and is a freshman mentor. She has learned many life lessons as a student-athlete during her
We all became stronger to the point we were begging to do workouts. We craved the strength and the lesson it taught; “no one left behind we are one we are one,” we sang in unison as we trained. At the end of planning and training, we would come together and reflect on practice, share with each other the experiences had, set up our next meeting and then depart for the day. Typically, when talking with a blue funk member or instructor we are sharing ideas, swapping techniques, learning new techniques, or going over the routine and practicing the field show. A typical conversation goes as follows.
My first practice finally arrived, and I made my practice plan out, but I wanted to think about what I was going to say to the young eleven year olds. I kept thinking for over an hour and I couldn’t think of the right thing, but finally I figured out the perfect speech. I remember exactly what I said I told the kids that 5th grade basketball is about getting better so you can play at the high school level. I told them it has nothing to do with winning, of course everyone likes to win, that’s not the most important part. Never focus on the winning aspect of the game; focus on making yourself the best player you can be, and the wins will come.
Take U.S. figure skater Evan Lysacek. The 2010 gold medal winner managed to train for the Olympics and graduate from Neuqua Valley High School in Illinois, but he wasn’t exactly your average student. A 10-year-old profile of Lysacek from the Daily Herald noted that the then 14-year-old would attend regular classes in the morning, but leave school midday so that he could be at the skating rink by about 1:30 p.m. After practice he headed to more workouts, then back home for dinner and homework. Lysacek was quoted as saying then that school was “the only time in my life I have to be normal.” For an elite skater, Lysacek’s schedule was not considered normal. Many exceptional young athletes train and school at special facilities or at home, and many do not live with their parents after a certain point so that they can get specialized training.
I see my friends getting good jobs and pursuing their education and I was a sixteen year old mother with nothing to look forward to. My life have change so much and my goal was to go back to school and complete my education. For the past three years my mother and brothers always encouraged me to continue where I left off. Finally one day I decided to reapply to a secondary school to complete in education. I try looking for a job first to take care of my daughter and pay for my finances but that wasn’t successful.