Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. 250 words
Restlessly I glanced around trying to focus on the task at hand, anticipating the bang of the gun. On my right were my teammates, cheering loudly behind a fence for my victory. To my left the competition; some black, some white, some tall, some short. Despite our differences we all had one thing in common, a desire for victory. At the sharp crack of the gun I engaged my muscles and powered down the track towards an unexpected gold medal and ecstatic friends.
As a child I enjoyed something almost every other youth did, running. So when deciding which extracurricular to participate in, running track seemed natural. Running track acted like a friend who could listen forever; whenever I was going through a rough patch a run on the track cooled me down and helped me think clearly. Running helped me develop confidence and determination that I could use both on and off the track. At races I acted as a companion, cheering my teammates to victory. Other times a leader; teaching lessons of perseverance and determination as was passed down from seniors to myself. My successes gave me the exhilarating feeling of winning a race. But more importantly my failures taught me to persevere and practice my hardest, because on the starting line your ethnicity, gender, or height matter very little. Running track gave many new experiences that forever shaped the person I am today. Although I am a member of many diverse communities...
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... had found my vocation: sprinting. Entering my sophomore year I found myself replacing an injured runner on the varsity 4x100m. After showing marked improvement all season long I hit a hurdle that prevented me from bettering previous times; had torn my left quadriceps. Remembering my commitment to my teammates I limped through the wind and rain to practice daily. All my hard work had led me to the the starting line of a regional qualifying race; where my team would ascertain whether or not we would qualify for states. 43.72 seconds and a personal best later, we qualified for the state meet, something I never would have believed possible. Sadly, I had to defer my spot because after running on my injured leg for so long I could barely walk much less sprint. Injuring my leg taught me that even when life gets tough I have the determination to finish what I start.
I am now officially in my Senior year of Cross Country , and am close to the end of my season. My first race of this year though was a big accomplishment for me, because I hadn`t been able to run. When I ran that race though it made me just so happy I was able to finish it, I was`nt happy with the time, but there is always time for improvement. I was glad to be racing again and being apart of the team again. I believe that my injuries were a barrier in my way, but they did not stop my sports career.
“Success isn’t given. It is earned. On the track, on the field, in the gym. With blood, sweat, and the occasional tear”. Track and Field is one of the oldest sports invented. Track involved athletes competing in numerous events against one another to see who’s the best. With track and field comes misconceptions of the sport, which leads to people making stereotypes for the track athletes. A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. A misconception is a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding. Many people have misconceptions of track and field, because many don’t see it as a sport, or believe it is just running. Once someone brings up
One sport you may not have considered for your High School activities is track. Track is a sport with an array of benefits for your body. People from all over the world participate in many running events including sprinting, middle distances, long distances, relay races, hurdles, steeple chasing, and race walking. I will go into more detail under the subject of sprinting a bit later. First, I will speak to you about the preparation it takes in order to get into track sprinting shape.
I’ve been involved with sports since I was 2 years old, participating in these taught me more than the sports themselves; they taught me who I am. I put in countless hours of gymnastics practice, so many that the majority of kids couldn’t imagine the dedication needed to become a state and national champion. It taught me a few of the most vital lessons that I will ever learn; to contribute 100 percent in everything I do and to balance various aspects of my life. Gymnastics also taught me perseverance, how to work harder to achieve a goal, no matter how difficult.
I was so excited to start my new journey in school. I knew that being involved in a sport was going to help me become more confident. Running has taught me how to achieve my goals, be tough; both physically and mentally, and appreciate life. The first week of cross country was difficult.
My first week of school, everyone encouraged me to join a club or a team. Of course I did not want to, until I heard we had a track team, and even then I did not know if I wanted to pursue it. In my mind, debating if I should dedicate myself to track was a hard decision. I was about to not only give this sport my time but also nothing but
I’ve always been the type of person that truly enjoys athletics and have participated in nearly all sports offered to me. I started playing sports in elementary with club softball and basketball. As I entered my middle and high school years I was able to add the school sanctioned sports to my list of activities. This afforded me the opportunity of competing in volleyball, basketball, golf, track and softball. The camaraderie and life lessons of sports seemed invaluable to me.
Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way according to Google. The three milers in The Perfect Mile attempt to achieve the four-minute mile, and they each have different forms of motivation. There are two milers that achieve success because their motive impelled them to prevail. What is motivation?
Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)
Through these two essays, a greater sense of what community is really about emerges. Not only is community about ones surroundings, but also about the values and ideals held by that communities inhabitants. The community in which one may or may not choose to immerse ourselves in deeply effects who we are. The character, or soul, within each of us is in part shaped by the community or communities in which we belong to or reside in.
The tryout was intense, seventy people showed up, but only forty made the team. It consisted of a 300m run, a 30m run, a med ball toss, a long jump, and a standing triple jump. I out performed my fellow sophomores in almost all the events. This made me realize I might actually have a future in track. I wanted to be great. I wanted to compete at state.
As the season progressed, competition started getting fiercer. I was up against girls running at a 5A level, yet, I was able to hold my own. Finally there came a tiny light at the end of the tunnel; it seemed as though I was getting closer and closer to accomplishing my goal. Along with my undefeated title came a huge target painted on my back. I religiously checked "Rocky Preps" every day to see if the competition was gaining on me. It seemed that every time I had improved, there was someone right behind me, running their personal best too. I trained during the weeks before regionals like I had never trained before. Each day my stomach became more twisted with knots that looped around every part of my stomach. I don't think I had ever been that nervous in my whole life.
My sophomore year had begun and I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to do track this year. Last year I played football in the fall and soccer in the spring. Not really enjoying it, the decision was made to play " real futbol" (soccer) in the fall, leaving the spring sports season open. My friend kept telling me how fun track was, so I decided to give it a try.
Another concept I have learned from my participation in running is teamwork. No matter how hard we try, we cannot live our lives without others' help or without helping others. We must work together to succeed on the road ahead. This is the essence of teamwork. I know that even my personal success in cross-country and track is not solely mine. I know that my three district titles, one in cross country and two in track, in the 800 meter and 1600 meter runs, could not have been accomplished without my team's unequivocal support and for that, I thank them.
I had never really been a part of a team that had a chance to win something, but the potential was always there. I finally got my chance to be a part of such a team my sophomore year of track. Mr. Jones, the head track coach, had decided to experiment with some different races to gain more team points. Since the girls' team lacked a medley relay, he placed Cindy, Kim, Susan and I in those spots. Cindy would run the 400, Kim would run the 200, and Susan and I would start the race off by each running the 100. We all had worked viciously to earn those spots by running off against our teammates.