Sports nourish my body and soul by mikaela

Sports nourish my body and soul by mikaela - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

Ever since i was a little girl I have been a part of Bowie Boys and Girls Club ("the club"). My parents put me into playing soccer at a very young age of 3 and that is how i was introduced to the club. The Bowie Boys and Girls club is a significant part of our community and it helps all parents to organize in order to have their kids play soccer. My dad volunteered to be our coach for a few years through the club and this really created a bond between him and I. We encountered some hard times in our family as my parents ended up separating, but having the structure and regular sport sessions with the club really helped me throughout this time. As I grew older, I ended up volunteering to help with the smaller kids coming into the club and that has taught me a lot about my role in the community and how younger kids relied on me being there for them. I enjoyed becoming a big sister and helping them with soccer skills or with school and friend related questions. I hear adults say that "it takes a village" to raise a child" and I see how it works both ways.
The club made me realize that my parents rely on community to be there for things they cannot be there for. For example, there were times when my dad would pick up my teammate from school or home to make it to practice on time, because he parents were at work. Sometimes my friend's mom would take me to practice as well. There were times when i needed an advice and I didn't want to ask my parents, so one of the older girls from the club would step in to speak with me. This is what made me understand "the village" concept and that we are not alone. The club brought different people together from various backgrounds and races and religions. This was helpful as all of these people had different perspectives on some of my issues at the time and really made me consider different angles of solutions on hand.
In the future when I have children I am planning to involve them in a community organization like this as well, whether it is about sports or art or anything else. Community organizations help people come together and teach kids like me the true meaning of community, compassion and being there for each other.