No Practice makes Perfect? by William

No Practice makes Perfect? by William - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

I can proudly say I am no stranger to failure. I have lost the games I could have won and often found a 4.0 gpa an unrealistic target. But by far, I failed my soccer team most of all. I spent four years playing for the capital high school soccer team, and those were ultimately wasted afternoons and fruitless sessions. I have often asked myself, why? The answer is a simple one. Not because I did too much, or lavished too much effort into a worthy project, I simply did not give enough.
No one ever challenged me for slacking on the job, but that was not the issue. It was not how hard I tried, but how often I tried. I could have been great, but I was at best mediocre. I may have been fast, I may have been relentless, I may have been aggressive, but none of those things won games. None of those things got me playing time or even made me merit a spot on the pitch. I was not skilled enough, I was crude, slow-witted, dodgy and worst of all, I flatly did not put enough time in. Those shooting sessions and technical drills had been things I had never had time for. There was always a book to read, or some game to play, so on. In the end, it meant I sat idle while my peers were learning new tricks, moves and strategies. Doubt began to gnaw at me, I became uncertain about my own skills, I fell behind. I saw the coaches and the players give up on me one by one, knowing I would never change. How right they were.
If I knew one thing, it was that life doesn’t end when the team doesn’t make the playoffs or you lose crosstown. I’m still young, and there are more forks in the road beyond the horizon than in the obscurity behind me. So I begin to make amends. Those four years will be a monumental lesson, and I will grow from them. Here is one little point I have picked up: I can run. I enjoy it. I broke records and defied expectations. Therefore, I should be good at track? That is one question I have yet to answer, but I am training for the upcoming spring season, and I have high hopes. I know where to go, even if I don’t know how to get there.
Failure is a funny thing. Should someone manage to go their whole life without losing a game or not making the cut for the varsity squad, it’s clear that they haven’t taken enough risks or faced hard enough challenges. However oxymoronic that may sound, I find it’s especially true in hindsight. I have a little more faith in myself now, and hopefully anxiety and ambition will carry me far. Should even that venture fail, there is still a lifetime ahead of me, and it is one great offer I fully intend to accept.