Blakely's Argumentative Essay

I write to offer my unconditional endorsement of Blakely Byrd as a Triple-Impact Competitor. I have known Blakely for 13 years and have served as her classmate, friend, and teammate on both our club and high school teams. If there is one thing I can say about Blakely, it is that she always embraces challenges. Whether it is being the first to accept the invitation to take a penalty kick or the last person to leave the field after practice, she never stops working and always does it with joy. My father nicknamed Blakely "Flash" because of her lightning speed and her self-confidence and determination to uplift and inspire everyone else around her. To me, Blakely epitomizes the concept of leading by example. No matter how tough our opponent is,

Importantly, that injury didn't stop her from becoming an instrumental part of our team in the following year and rightfully earning the "Beast" award as a sophomore for her perseverance and commitment to the game. In my opinion, the term "beast" perfectly captures her determination to fairly overcome any competitor, who is often twice her size. Perhaps more impressive is Blakely's unconditional respect for the opposing team and the game itself, which is one of the most important aspects of her character. Regardless of the outcome, Blakely is the first to shake the hands of the other team and referees and show support to her own teammates. I want to end this letter with a story that I believe perfectly captures the essence of Blakely as a competitor, leader, and teammate. Our junior season wasn't going exactly how we had planned. Towards the end of our season, our coach recognized that our morale was low, and he called for a meeting. We were told to write down how we were feeling about the team at the moment, and most of what we wrote down expressed our discouragement about the season, especially in comparison to the success of our previous two