When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe the night had finally passed, it seemed like my dreams were becoming reality until I was blinded by the first rays of the sun peeking through my blinds. There was one thing on my mind: winning. I couldn’t wait to meet the team at the field to talk about our strategies for playing the defending championship team. As quickly as possible I got ready; I put on my uniform and tied back my hair. Closing my eyes to picture myself hitting the game winning homerun, I smiled.
Then I threw my gear into my bat bag and started to run out the door, but before the latch clicked, my mother called, “Did you finish your book report last night? ” “Of course mom and it’s darn good too! Probably another A! ” “Okay, good job! Now use that attitude on the field today! Good luck, see you there”. Many parents believe education is the most important element in young, developing lives; however, participating in activities other than simply attending class and finishing homework are also very important.
Everyday young adults face the many challenges of surviving a day at high school such as popularity, peer pressure and tough homework assignments. Although the stress is inevitable, one way to avoid it is to participate in athletics. Being involved with high school athletics taught me not only to be a better student, but also how to manage my time more efficiently in everyday life. Perhaps the most important factor that athletics can provide for a young adult is greater success academically.
Often times, students who do not realize they can be great in classroom are given the confidence boost they need on the athletic field by a coach or a mentor within the athletic world. There are so many subjects in school, and most students are not comfortable in each and every one, sometimes resulting in poor grades. I had always been strong in the subjects like English and History, but one subject that I could not get a handle on was Math.
I was afraid to ask my teacher for help because the other students seemed to understand it so easy and I did not want to be embarrassed. Finally, after softball practice one day, I asked my coach to help me with a homework assignment I was struggling with. My coach, who was more dedicated to education than anyone else I knew, was happy to help. From that day forward, whenever I had a math assignment that I didn’t quite get, he would help me out by turning the problem that was on paper into a situation I would face on the field.
I got better in my game on the field and, I was able to overcome my fear of Math. My coach never gave me the answers directly nor did he help me take my tests in the classroom. I was able to gain the confidence I needed to become a better student because my softball coach believed in me. Tuckered out from long, hard practices from the previous day, I sucked it up and made it to school everyday.
I learned how to handle my time in an effective manner, making sure I was getting my schoolwork done. My time management skills improved in all aspects of my life. There were good days and bad both on the field and in the classroom, but I understood the correlation between the two. Hard work on the field also resulted in hard work in the classroom. Realizing my potential in the classroom fed my hunger to be the best student I could be as well as the best player on the field.