The Tournament by Alejandro

The Tournament by Alejandro - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

The greatest fear we all hold within ourselves is failure. There has been a time in our lives where we have failed at something, and reflect upon it. In my perspective, failure is a chance for self-improvement and learning. As stated by Bill Gates, “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” One experience that always comes to mind was when I competed in a regional chess tournament. I reflect on this experience because I committed a huge blunder, learned from that experience, and improved from that day on.
The fateful day in which I suffered a crippling defeat was a warm spring afternoon. I was only in ninth grade, competing at my first tournament. The tension I had felt in the air was intense, rushing into bloodstream. Defeat after defeat, I had lost five chess games in a row that afternoon. When I arrived home I cried myself to sleep, the thought of taking my life popped up in my head as well.
I thought I had drowned in feelings of melancholy but my mind took a sudden turn a few days later. Instead of viewing it as the end, I quickly thought of it as a mind strengthening experience. From that day on, I realized that winning wasn’t everything. The thought of letting go of that day brought ease to my mind, convincing me that the future is full of better things. Once implemented, this doctrine changed the way I looked at competitions and competing in general.
When the new school year arrived, I went to a national tournament in Orlando. Prior to competing, I had been practicing my moves and openings beforehand. I emerged victorious that weekend, winning a third place trophy. After that day, I continued to compete in tournaments. My mind was full of joy knowing how much I had improved over time.
The first chess tournament I had competed in was a life changing experience because it allowed me to learn from my failure. I committed huge blunders, learned from the experience, and improved from that day on. Losing five matches in a row allowed me to realize that winning wasn’t everything and that it isn’t the end. Life goes on, it is only through reflecting on such experiences will one be able to grow and overcome harder challenges in life.