Learning My Way by Nicholas

Learning My Way by Nicholas - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

Growing up as an athlete I learned from a very young age to do what I was told and that everything would be okay. Ever since I could remember my parents had me in a uniform, in school, on the court, or in the field. I was raised as a conformist to my elders to do anything I needed to do to better myself in the classroom and on the field.

I enjoyed the early years of my life. My parents always seemed to have a plan to keep me busy. Boring days happened very rarely because I was always given school work, taken to practices, or playing in games. Being active was great for my young body and young mind, and every child needs their hand held through the early years of life.

As the years moved on I began to improve more and more through all aspects. The straight A’s kept on coming, and my athleticism continued to advance. My parents and teachers began to think I may be something special. I never realized much of what was happening, I just enjoyed reading and math and sports were exciting to me.

It wasn’t until the age of twelve that the pressure of pleasing everyone around me got to me. I was starting middle school and everything seemed to be getting tougher. Honors classes were presented to me and my parents were playing me with kids up to two years older than me. I was up to the challenge, but I still had no idea what the future had in store for me. I took pride in the fact that I had better grades than everyone else at a young age, and who doesn’t love winning in almost everything they do.

By the age of fourteen my fast track train to success was beginning to derail. Maybe my parents pushed me too hard, too fast, or maybe I never had anything at all. The plans of a bright future athletically seemed to be going down the drain, going into high school I chose to play baseball, because it was the sport I had the most promise in. I decided to focus all my energy on just baseball, and the decision back fired on me. I am still not sure what happened to me and my game but I broke down and cracked under the pressure of high school. All of my potential didn’t transfer over, and as a result I did not perform well for my school. While trying to find answers I felt as I was a disappointment to everyone who cared about me, and the stress got to me not only on the field but in the classroom.
All my years prior to high school I spent preparing for success and to reach such a low point was devastating. While on the verge of quitting, I searched for answers from my closest friend and coach. Coach Jon had been my mentor for several years before high school; he was very outgoing and very open about his opinions, which was very different from my reserved personality. As we talked over what had happened to me over the course of the year he explained his success story. He came from a family raised by a single mother making it hard for him to always have someone there for him. He put himself in baseball and worked to be the best he possibly could for himself. He had this drive in him, which helped him persevere. Jon became one of the best pitchers to ever attend Humble High School, and later played at the University of Houston, and for the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

We spent that night talking about the differences between him and myself, how we came to this point in each other’s lives, and what was needed to succeed in the game of baseball. I never had a real answer. I was never able to come up with one on my own. After all everything that had happened to me at this point in my life had been given to me by my parents and teachers. Of course I put in the work but I never knew how or why. The opportunity for success had simply been handed to me and I was good enough to take it. Coach Jon taught me by example that I needed to fend for myself, go out and take things that I wanted, and to work hard to succeed. I had never really understood what I wanted in life, I felt like all my dreams had been given to me by parents and not formed by me. Since that day I have thrived, in the community, in school, and on the field. I know now what it takes to succeed and how to be a strong and independent young man. The setback in my life and the drive from the bottom has helped me greatly, and I believe the lessons learned make me a great candidate for scholarships, so that I can live my dreams and attend a University.