Thanks Coach by Kelsie

Thanks Coach by Kelsie - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

I met my varsity basketball coach when I was just seven years old, watching my older sister play, who I desperately wanted to be. He would continue to remind me that it would be me one day. That soon enough I would be 18 playing my last ever high school basketball game. Here I am now, I just lost in the state final and my last ever game being coached by him and it doesn’t feel real.
Even though he was my basketball coach he also benefited me academically with encouragement and helping me grow throughout basketball. He always advocated for me when I wouldn’t get the recognition that he believes I deserved. His encouragement throughout everything I have done has passed over to my academics. It gave me the confidence I needed to excel within school. It allowed me to know that I can finish in school in the top levels and take some of the most challenging courses.
The benefits that student athletes gain from high school sports are directly carry over into academics. Throughout high school I have balanced being a three-sport student athlete incredibly well, managing to make high honor roll almost each quarter, with close to perfect attendance at school and sports practices. A large portion of this academic success I owe to the structure and time management that I gained from athletics and coaching. My basketball coach specifically puts the time and effort to be personable with each of his players and see them all succeed in every aspect of life. Without sports, specifically basketball, I would not have as much motivation as I do to succeed in my classes. It provided me with a sense of organization and structure as I adjusted to challenging academics and demanding sports schedules. Whenever this was a struggle to balance all of this, my basketball coach was always there to help us however we needed.
Leadership is one of the biggest things that my coach drilled into me. Until last year, I didn’t display as much leadership but once I began to, it changed my game completely for the better. My senior year, he would continually remind me that it was my team and that I needed to take charge. As I gained these leadership skills within basketball, they paid off within school. Taking charge in your own schooling allows you to do work to the best of your ability and that is a life lesson that my coach has encouraged me to learn.
He has always been my biggest supporter in everything I do and I believe that a majority of my success is because of how hard he continuously pushed me. It always felt nice to know that when I didn’t get the recognition I deserved that he was just as upset if not more upset. He would continue to advocate for my success and that produced a positive impact for my education.