believe in yourself, everyone else does revised

As I walked off the track, I hung my head in shame. I walked right past my coach, family, and teammates, straight to my bag. I had just finished racing the mile at the state meet, but broke down mentally and fell apart. I knew after my record setting performance last week, this was a complete failure. After my worst race of the year, I couldn’t bring myself to face anyone at the time. To make matters worse, my soon to be college coach had been there to witness my abysmal performance. With thousands of people in the crowd, my only hope was to sink into the swarm around me, hoping not to see him. Understanding the frustration running through my body, he left me to myself. Fearing the questions from my friends, I got up and began to walk around the stadium, wandering in my sorrows. My mind began to wander, failure overwhelming me. I began to wonder if collegiate athletics was for me, or if I should just give up and quit. Quitting seemed the logical answer, s I thought there was no chance of success left for me.

Over the next few days, I dreaded my next contact with my coach. There it was, a new email, sitting, waiting for me to open it.

I read in shock. I re-read it just to verify. My coach had sent me a summer running schedule full of workouts and detailed instructions. For a moment I did not understand, but soon I realized what had occurred. Though I had one bad race at the end of the year, he knew it was not reflective of my true ability. He maintained faith in me and was not going to give me an excuse to end my athletic career so young. Since then I regained my confidence and continue to improve.

Word Count: 309

Believe in yourself in times of trouble because other will.

Believe in yourself, everyone else does

Lyndon Novotny

As I walked off the track, I hung my head in shame. I walked right past my coach, family, and teammates, straight to my bag. I had just finished racing the mile at the state meet, but broke down mentally and fell apart. After my worst performance of the year, I couldn’t bring myself to face anyone at the time. To make matters worse, my soon to be college coach had been there to witness my abysmal performance. With thousands of people in the crowd, my only hope was to sink into the swarm around me, hoping not to see him. Understanding the frustration running through my body, he left me to myself. Fearing the questions from my friends, I got up and began to walk around the stadium, wandering in my sorrows. My mind began to wander, failure overwhelming me. I began to wonder if collegiate athletics was for me, or if I should just give up and quit. Quitting seemed the logical answer, s I thought there was no chance of success left for me.

Over the next few days, I dreaded my next contact with my coach. There it was, a new email, sitting, waiting for me to open it.

I read in shock. I re-read it just to verify. My coach had sent me a summer running schedule full of workouts and detailed instructions. For a moment I did not understand, but soon I realized what had occurred. Though I had one bad race at the end of the year, he knew it was not reflective of my true ability. He maintained faith in me and was not going to give me an excuse to end my athletic career so young. Since then I regained my confidence and continue to improve.

Story Point: Always stay confident in your abilities in times of struggle, others will.

Word count: 295

Manage Responsibility with Play

My brother and I entered the kitchen, walking in out of the hot, sticky air. Sweating and out of breath, we retreated to the cool and dark basement. There we sat watching television as our heartbeats slowed to a crawl. It was late May and we had just finished our usual neighborhood football game down the street. Just like all the other days, we had returned from school at 3:00 pm and upon arriving home, immediately headed down the street to meet our friends. As an hour flashed by, almost in an instant, my brother announced it was time for us to go home. Against my protests, he forced me to leave, dragging my grounded feet for a few strides. After half an hour of television my mom entered the room and reported it was time to work on our schoolwork for the evening. Once again, I was upset and wanted to refuse, but knew better. My parents were very stern when it came to our schooling and made sure that we tried our best to succeed. My complaints would have been more effective against a statue, there was no wiggle room allowed. So we sat around the great square table and worked diligently until we finished, something that took a surprisingly short time. Because I had finished, I was once again allowed to join my friends to continue our play from earlier, this time under a pink and orange evening sky.

Word Count: 242

Message: Do not let your desires to relax and play come in the way of your obligations and responsibilities in life.

School's Ups and Downs

When I was a senior in high school, the time when most kids are most tired of learning and want nothing more than to be done, my English teacher got me to re-focus and prepare for the rest of my life. With a dry sense of humor and sharp wit, he was able to strengthen my writing abilities, a subject I previously struggled in. He also provided the structure and guidance no other teacher had ever afforded me. My confidence grew and by the end of the year I rose to the top of my class and earned my first five on an AP test. Because of this, I placed out of entry level English in college and allowed me to write stronger essays in my other classes.

My worst experience in schooling came in he fifth grade during algebra lessons. I failed two tests in a row and was forced to have my parents sign them. After getting yelled at, I was forced to take extra lessons to improve my grades. These lessons occurred during recess, my favorite time of day. Having to sit inside and listen to everyone outside running around, playing kickball, and playing tag was at the time the hardest thing I had ever had to endure. Everyone came in laughing and sweating, while I sat there waiting to continue learning.

word count: 225