Still Kickin' Strong by Natalie

Still Kickin' Strong by Natalie - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

The word lessons implies that something is learned. This can happen in a traditional setting, such as a classroom, or more often than not, life is the teacher. Sometimes these lessons are joyful occasions, but other times, they are painful and hard to overcome. Yet, in the overcoming, we become an all-around better person who is growing up, and these moments are carried within our heart. Ultimately, the memories I carry are the lessons that have shaped me into the person I am today when it initially appears as if I have failed. They are not just lessons that make me, but they are me.
On a chilly, windy Saturday in October of 2015, I was doing what I had done for the last nine weeks – volunteering as a youth head coach of a fourth and fifth grade soccer team. This was not just any ordinary game; this was the first round of the double elimination tournament, and I had my eyes set on the championship game. First…we had to advance this round, and we were currently tied with two minutes to go. Tweet-tweet. A penalty. Against my team. My heart sank. The referee quickly put the ball down, and with one swooping motion, the other team scored. While they jumped up and down and shouted for joy, I had to keep the pieces together for my team…who was just as devastated as I felt. Once we left the field, I took a few moments to compose myself and collect my thoughts. We, the number two seed, were headed to the losers’ bracket because of a bad call followed by an inappropriate way by the way the referee to handle said call.
During the next game, the players came out with a fierce desire to win, and the other team did not know what hit them. There was no doubt we were going to win that game, and we did. While that first game knocked us down quite literally right at the end, after working so hard, we, as a team, learned from it, and we came back with a vengeance…all a lesson in character building. Those next two wins were even sweeter.
That next game reminds me that sometimes life is not fair, meaning that even if we work hard to achieve a goal, we do not always receive what we want. Instead of heading to the championship game, we were bumped down to the constellation bracket. However, this is a powerful lesson and reminder that sometimes, God has other plans for us, and that sometimes, our plans do not align with His. For a long time, I dreamed of being a teacher until I first became injured. Now, because of my lengthy time spent at my local physical therapist’s office, I am now pursuing a career in the health field. A part of me wonders if the reason I got hurt, although it seemed unfair, was to direct me down this path of helping other injured athletes. Even though it appears unjust, there is usually a reason behind it all; sometimes, there are better things in store in the future – we just need a little nudging to get there. Therefore, I remind myself there is a reason why we do not always get what we think we want.
While it appears the game reminds me of heartbreak, which is completely true, it also reminds me of how strong the team and I were. Those kids did not let that last minute call define them as losers. Rather, they came back with a renewed fire lightning them. This moment helped build all of our character by becoming stronger mentally. Not only did we have to learn to deal with disappointment, but there were still games to be played. That second game of the day, I almost could not recognize my team…they bounced back that well. This shows the importance of never giving up. This game does not just play a role in the soccer aspect of my life, but it carries over to all aspects. I have learned to focus more on the positive side of life. This concept has been most apparent in the last three years of my life: being injured. There are days when I have not wanted to get out of bed because the pain has been so unbearable, but I do, and I am now competing on the swim team. It would never have happened if I had given up or not looked forward to more positive things – returning to sports, walking normally, sleeping through the night – instead of my physical therapy and the activities I physically could not do. However, I choose to remember how strong I am and look on the positive side of life.
The things – memories and lessons – I keep within my heart have shaped me into the person I am today. However, memories can fade, so I pray that all of the emotions and lessons that came as a result never leave me…because without them, I would not be me.