Cross Country Running and Leadership by Alex

Cross Country Running and Leadership by Alex - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

Sports have been an integral part of my life ever since I was a young child and have positively influenced my personality and life style. Soccer became my favorite sport in elementary school because it was a popular and competitive social activity. My first coach inspired my interest in soccer through his passion for the game. I played in the Capital Area Soccer League through 9th grade and then decided to try out for the junior varsity (JV) soccer team. I hoped to meet new friends in high school and pursue a sport I loved. Throughout the summer, I practiced with the soccer team. My least favorite part of the workouts was run training on the track. While we ran on the track, the track and cross-country coach would come over and invite everyone to try cross-country if soccer did not work out. During soccer tryouts, I worked hard, made several new friends and felt sure I was going to make the team.

When the time came to announce the roster, the soccer coach did not call my name. I felt a wide range of emotions including anger, disappointment and disbelief. My heart sank and I could not believe I was not going to be a part of the soccer team. I felt like a failure because this was a goal that I had worked hard to achieve and was my favorite sport. My family tried to help me overcome my disappointment by encouraging me to try out for the cross-country team. I wanted to be involved with my school’s athletics so cross-country was going to get my best effort. I went to a practice and was surprised that running could actually be enjoyable. At my first practice, I ran with the team captains group until one of the runners in the group injured his knee. The team captain instructed me to stay with the injured runner so he wasn’t left behind on the trail alone. I was impressed that the captain insured that all the cross-country teammates looked out for each other. At the first meet of the season, the coach told me to run with a tall experienced runner. Once the race started, I lost the tall guy in the chaotic start and the next thing I know the coach is telling me to keep running faster as I passed many runners. The coach and I were both shocked at how fast my time was for a first race. I was excited by the support of my teammates and coach. After the first race, I became a part of the varsity team. I had found a new sport for which I could passionately pursue.

My failure of not making the JV soccer team made me lose confidence in my athletic ability. I am glad I received encouragement to try out for the cross-country team. My experiences with the cross-country team have provided me with valuable learning experiences. Each year I have had teammates who were mentors and coaches who have encouraged me to reach my fullest potential in the classroom as well as on the track. I have adopted a passion for running and through running developed time management and leadership skills that help me succeed outside of running. This year I was elected captain of the cross-country team and have used that position to promote the development of sportsmanship, a commitment to success in races and practice. The failure I experienced for not making the soccer team has turned out to be a valuable learning experience for me. My experience with cross-country and track has helped me to develop strong leadership skills and relationships for which I will always treasure.