Rejection Leads to Standing Ovations by Quentin

Rejection Leads to Standing Ovations by Quentin - July 2023 Scholarship Essay

I walked out of the gym disappointed, but hopeful. Coach had explained to me that I just barely missed the cut. I was their 11th choice. I needed to “fill out” my frame a bit more, I had the height but was thin. That’s okay, one more year of practice then I could make the 8th grade team right? If I made the basketball team, I wouldn’t need band anymore and I could instead focus on sports. Sounded like a plan to 7th grade Quentin.
Another year of playing recreation basketball, and it was one of the worst years yet. I was frustrated with the team and couldn’t wait to get to team tryouts. I held hope that I improved enough to finally get the nod for the team. I was thinking about quitting the band anyways, I wasn’t a big fan of the class and practicing trumpet became a chore. First day of 8th grade team tryouts has arrived, and I was ready. I fared well in the individual drills, my ball handling had improved that year, as well as my shooting. In team drills I played decently, making a couple good plays and scoring some easy baskets. I felt pretty good as the coach concluded day one tryouts and started calling people in to discuss whether or not they made it to day two. Last year I easily made day two, so when the coach called me in to tell me I did not make it, I was shocked. Walking out of the gym I felt numb. What do I do now? I guess I could try and make the freshman team, but after that embarrassment?
My parents preached the idea of marching band, but is that really what I wanted? Basketball was my passion, and I was unprepared to throw it away. After much hesitation, I agreed to my parent’s wishes and went to the freshman marching band orientation. Sitting in the auditorium looking at the powerpoint demo of costumes and music and props, I could see the vision. This new chapter would be a change, for sure, but would it be a welcome one? 4 years later I can comfortably say that marching band was one of the best decisions of my life. The friends, the feeling of performing, the music I created, all things that today I wouldn’t trade the world for. Even though I went from what at the time felt like a cool basketball kid to a marching band nerd, I also went from failing to make the 8th grade basketball team to becoming the Most Improved Freshman Marcher, the First Chair Trumpet in the prestigious Milford Wind Ensemble, marching Down Main Street at Walt Disney World, and standing in Lucas Oil Stadium with my fellow band nerds and now best friends performing our show in the Grand National semi-finals. Failure creates opportunity, closed doors open new ones, and I learned this important life lesson to carry as a first hand witness.