Dedication to Overcome Adversity by Louie

Dedication to Overcome Adversity by Louie - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

During my Junior year of football, I had a grade three AC joint separation. Injuring my shoulder was devastating to me for many reasons. The first reason was that I would have to miss at least a fair amount of the season and would not be able to play alongside my teammates. Another reason was that I had never sustained a serious injury like this before. The last reason is that I did not know how this would affect my playing baseball, which is my first love. It was crushing to think that all the plans I had for my future had come crashing down.
When I went to the doctor I was told that I would not need surgery, but I would have to go through physical therapy to be ready for the upcoming baseball season. I decided to not finish the football season or play basketball that year to focus on physical therapy and prepare myself for baseball. From October to February I pushed myself to the limits. Twice a week I went to physical therapy to work on strengthening the muscles in my shoulder. The exercises I did were difficult and monotonous, but I persevered because I wanted to play again more than anything. On the days I did not have physical therapy, I was in the weight room doing exercises I was able to do along with exercises given to me by my physical therapist. During that time, I worked harder than I ever had before and put myself through more pain I had never experienced in order to get back on the field. The dedication I put forth to get back to full strength is what allowed me to play baseball again.
I have carried that trait of dedication with me even after I have returned to full strength. I dedicate myself in the weight room to getting stronger, as well as to working on my skills as a baseball player, and I dedicate myself to being the best I can be in the classroom. As I move on to college, I will continue to commit to getting better every day to become the best I can be.