Encouraging Teammates by John

Encouraging Teammates by John - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

Much of my High School career was spent with my football team so that is the community I could influence the most. Early on, I think my hard work ethic and competitiveness gained respect from not only teammates my age, but also upper classman and my coaches. Also, attending a school with multi-cultural students with a variety of economic backgrounds, I have come to taking the time to get to know individuals so that I understand them. With all of that meeting my supportive traits, I feel like I was an encourager who uplifted teammates so the team could not only be physically strong, but also mentally strong.

During the end of my freshman football season, I took a blind side hit on a kickoff and came limping off the field discouraged. MRI results revealed a torn ACL which meant surgery and almost a year of weekly physical therapy appointments. After recovering from this, I had even more empathy for my teammates when they became injured because I had been there.

I think everyone has a purpose and mine is to uplift and encourage. Looking back on my ACL injury, that just gave me another perspective to be able to empathize and uplift my teammates. I hope the compassion and encouragement I have given to my teammates helps to create a ripple effect where they can serve others with encouragement.