“And she sticks the landing!” These words of encouragement were what started my love for the sport of gymnastics at the age of two years old. This complex, and high demanding sport is what gave me the determination that I have today. At the gym, my coaches would give my teammates and I tough love to push us to our full potential, and I am grateful for that. Without their strict coaching strategies, I would not be who I am today. They have ingrained discipline within me since the day I started gymnastics. Thankfully, these characteristics have shaped my personality, and this is evident in my everyday life, especially at college. Studying at a University takes a lot of dedication, passion, determination, and self discipline. I truly believe that
When I was accepted into the University of Oklahoma, I was not aware of the tradition or prestige that the football team carried. Moreover, I had no idea about the honor it was to don the crimson and cream in the arena of athletics. And, I never envisioned rooming with them. I enjoyed sports, but I loved reading and writing more. Initially, I was focused on building a collegiate career that one day would propel me to my goal of studying law. Yet, the more time I spent interacting with the athletes, the more parallels I noticed between their personalities and mine. Their diligence, perseverance and compassion were all traits that I could identify with since they were reflective of me. For the most part, the majority of the athletes were hungry to achieve and they desired knowledge at all costs; a combination that still resonates with me today.
This semester has been really tiring. It has been really stressful for me lately with all my classes. It is hectic preparing for finals, finishing up end of the year projects, as well as practicing for state soccer. It is not easy being a 4.0 student athlete. It’s probably the most stressful thing for a high school student. Some people think that the athletes have it easy but they don’t. We have to work hard to earn our spot. We constantly have sports as well as school on our mind. It is especially hard for someone who wants to become a college athlete. They are trying to do everything possible to become the best athlete possible. They are in the weight room a lot trying to become stronger. Some may even have more than one sport to go to in one night. Going from the weight room to school to one sport practice to the other and then home to do homework is enough to overwhelm someone. You would think that the work load would start to slim down towards the end of the year but not in Mr. McGee’s Honors English. Of all the texts we have read this semester, my favorites are Carry Your Own Skis by, Lian Dolan Arthur Ashe by John McPhee, and Dreams by Langston Hughes.
Both on an off the field, my enthusiasm and motivation to obtain a goal is a trait that I am very proud of. I have faced many tasks where a leader had needed to step up and I am always willing to do so. I am also willing to get help when I need it. If I can’t complete a task by myself I do not mind asking a classmate, teammate, friend or a teacher for guidance. By bringing that openness and leadership to University of Charleston’s Athletic Training Program I believe that I can also attribute to the University of Charleston’s Mission Statement “to educate each student for a life of productive work, enlightened living, and community involvement.” By bettering the Athletic Training community by providing care to our Athletes I believe that I will be a great addition to the Athletic Training
All college students sitting in classrooms today face challenges that can impede their success. A challenging course schedule, competing demand for the student’s time, and college readiness are all factors that can hinder a student’s performance in the classroom. Moreover, these challenges also have the ability to impact the student’s overall student development. While most students share a common set of stressors, there are certain groups on campus that face pressures and challenges that are not shared by the majority of their peers. Student athletes are such a group. Joshua Watson (2005) noted the positive benefits of participating in intercollegiate activities, but also noted that such participation can lead to issues of “maladjustment, emotional illness, and psychological distress” (p. 442).
Naturally, I faced the competition of other gymnasts, however, meets were not where my most valuable lessons were learned. The impact was greater in times I wanted to quit, and didn’t. For instance, my flyway, a skill I acquired as a child, became impossible for me to execute as a teenager. Each time I attempted to perform it, I froze, fear lingering in my mind. Frustrated, I contemplated abandoning my passion, yet, due to my persistence, I overcame the obstacle. I found quitting would never provide me the satisfaction I hungered for. Gymnastics also challenged my body. I suffered more injuries than the average gymnast with broken feet, fingers, toes, and elbows, a concussion, and two stress fractures in two years. My final injury, a torn labrum, resulted in hip surgery, six months of physical therapy, and the death of my college gymnastics dream. Through disaster emerged strength to cope with every roadblock I encounter. All of my life I had worked towards that goal, and with the lift of a scalpel, it was shattered. Thankfully, the qualities gymnastics has given me has transferred to every aspect of my life including my academic career. I have put in just as much effort in the classroom as I have in the
“All I have to do is pass: A discursive of student athletes’ talk about prioritizing sport to the detriment of education to overcome stressors encountered in combining elite sport and tertiary education.” Psychology of Sport & Exercise. Mar 2014, Vol. 15 Issue 2, p180-189. Web.
“Maintaining good academic standing is part of the student athlete culture,” according to women’s head soccer coach Jack Hyde, “It’s part of their responsibility...they embrace it,” he said (Stricklen). “I love football and I wouldn’t want to mess it up by not getting good grades in all my classes,” said Narayan, a student athlete (Given and Tribou). However, more and more student athletes are not finding studying and keeping their grades up a priority. Most student athletes dream of one day becoming a professional athlete, but without good grades, they won’t be able to go to a good college to play for. Being an athlete with good grades also benefits them when trying to get scholarships. Becoming a professional
As a young gymnast, I did not recognize I would learn life skills from the sport beyond physical strength. Gymnastics forced me to adapt when I began working on a nearly impossible skill; now, I have no issue acknowledging my weaknesses and working to become a better version of myself. Gymnastics made me brave; now, I answer medical questions confidently, and when incorrect, I keep my composure and answer again. Gymnastics taught me irreplaceable mental strength; now when I work shifts through the day and into the night, I hold myself together for my patients, especially when that patient is a terrified eight-year old. Gymnastics forced me
Colleges demand a well-rounded resume that students are trying to fulfill so they can get accepted to the college or university they desire most. “We know schools and families are embedded in society and are responding to its changing requirements and demands, with respect to the competitiveness to the college admissions process, the kinds of skills needed to succeed in the workforce, and even uncertainties in the global economy” (NYU Study Examines), in a study, students from a big university admit to finding that students are becoming more stressed out because of college pressures while still in high school. Colleges are trying to find the students that can succeed in both academics and extracurricular activities. Once students get into college, student athletes can buy a book written by Carl I. Fertman appropriately titled Student Athlete Success – Meeting the Challenges of College Life, to help organize their priorities with their busy schedule. This is a work book that allows the college athletes relate to other college athletes that feel the same way they do. College has its own set of challenges that high school students usually do not face, so this book would help the students cope with these new challenges. In the first section, there is a heading that is labeled “What Student-Athletes Say” with a list of common quotes from student athletes themselves. For example “Sometimes I feel like student athletes have extra pressure and greater expectations placed on them than other students. Everyone knows who we are and people are looking at us to catch us doing something wrong”. (2), which shows how students that do participate in sports feel as though they have added pressure because they are so well known in most cases. Although they do commit to being more known than a regular student when they join a sports team, it is often not fair to the
I decided that I wanted to play a sport, I chose volleyball. Most of my friends played the sport so it wasn't hard for me to adjust and make new friends. Becoming a student athlete was a big adjustment for me, I could no longer float through my classes but I need to excel. And that's exactly what I did. For the first time in my high school career I made not only honor roll, but principal’s honor roll. For the first time my mom was proud of my report card, that made me even more proud. From then on I knew I wanted nothing less than what I earned, good grades and a proud family. From my decision to chose to become a student athlete not only make me work harder but, be great at everything I put my mind to. I had motivation to stay successful, to stay eligible. Three years ago if you were to ask me where I thought I would be my senior year, I probably would have told you low level classes barely making it by. Now here I am today excelling in my education preparing to take the next step in my future, college. Even if we don’t understand why we go through them, we have to be willing to let our obstacles become out
“Class,” I announced, “today I will teach you a simpler method to find the greatest common factor and the least common multiple of a set of numbers.” In fifth grade, my teacher asked if anyone had any other methods to find the greatest common factor of two numbers. I volunteered, and soon the entire class, and teacher, was using my method to solve problems. Teaching my class as a fifth grader inspired me to teach others how important math and science is. These days, I enjoy helping my friends with their math homework, knowing that I am helping them understand the concept and improve their grades.
Born in the former Yugoslavia, I found my way to North America when I was recruited to University of California, Berkeley for my athletic accomplishments at the international rowing scene. While at Berkeley, I managed to complete two degrees and win two U.S. national rowing championships. My undergraduate academic and athletic experiences taught me time-management, prioritizing, teamwork, perseverance and the value of hard work. My experiences and passion for supporting student engagement and success in the post-secondary education setting led me to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Victoria. My thesis research was focused on the mental health and academic performance of undergraduate varsity athletes from five Canadian post-secondary institutions. My passion for education and work with students led to a career with the Student Affairs at University of Victoria and presently, at Humber
It is often believed that a well-trained body avoids sound academic mind when it comes to athletes. It is not always true though as there are many examples of student-athletes who have been able to succeed in both these facets of college life. The frequent visits made by athletes to the library clarifies their intent to prosper on paper. When I managed to sneak into an athlete’s home, all around spread books proved that they indeed take their study seriously. Moreover, the stories of individuals who were able to unlock both aspects of their skills are not unheard of.
A collage student that gets very hard homework sometimes gets really stressed out and may sometimes get bad grades. He says “playing sports taught me how to deal with failure and disappointment in life. I learned that I am not always going to get the results that I want, but no matter what, I have to persevere and not give up”(University of
The academic journey from my childhood up to my ongoing college experience was an important role in defining who I am as an individual. Like any other person, I eventually gained the understanding and importance of essential qualities like time management, work ethic, developing strong mental mindset, and many other things throughout my years of education. Fortunately for me, I became aware of these things much earlier than my peers around me. However, being aware of these things was only a fraction towards success. Over time I’ve realized that the most critical part of success was gaining the discipline and willpower to apply these lessons and concepts.