From Bashful to Champion by Evyn

From Bashful to Champion by Evyn - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

I was always a bashful and caring child, which would seem to be odd traits for someone who loved playing ice hockey.

The year was 2017 and I was playing youth hockey for a local team. That season I learned for the first time that I could make a difference by overcoming my bashfulness.

My team had the only female player in the league. Aside from being an excellent goalie, Sarah kept to herself. As a 14-year-old I just assumed that she, like me, was naturally quiet. That was until my dad informed me of a conversation he had with Sarah’s dad, in which they discussed her feelings of being excluded.

Knowledge in hand, I set out on a mission, and proceeded to plan a team event where we would all attend a game for Sarah’s all-girls team. Setting aside my inhibitions, I assisted my teammates in making posters, provided them with noise makers, and instructed them to sit at whatever end of the ice Sarah was defending.

Sarah’s team lost the game, but the rewards of the outing were beyond expectation. Players began interacting with Sarah, we started winning, and parents called the outing the turning point of the season. With Sarah in net, we ultimately beat the #1 team to win a State Championship.

Coupled with my caring nature, and still to my amazement, my ability to reach beyond my bashfulness, showed me that overcoming traits that can cause adversity is not only possible, but the result can make a champion of many.