Personal Narrative: A Career In High School Sports

The final days of my senior year are quickly passing by, which means my high school athletics are also coming to a close. Four years of practice, competition, and offseason work will all finally be over. Over these four years, parents and fans alike can see the progressive change in not only me, but my teammates as well. We walked onto the field as boys, and we will soon be walking off the field as men. Sports play a special role in countless people’s lives, but especially mine. Sports have helped make me into the young man I am today.

Offseason lifting and practices were never optional, always a must. I have always believed if you weren’t all in, you didn’t want to succeed. That is why I can count the number of practices I’ve ever missed on one hand. It hurt to look around and see only five other teammates at morning lifting for football during the summer when it was scheduled daily. It’s sad to say it, but, at points, it made the whole sport unenjoyable. I did know that I couldn’t give up on my senior brothers that had stuck it out with me for almost ten years now, and I owed it to my family to finish out what I had started. If I was to learn how far I could push myself throughout a dismal situation, commitment would be an extremely important trait to possess in this day and age.

Being a dual sport athlete, I’ve been a part of both winning and losing tradition teams in my high school career.

While it has been quite enjoyable to experience success in my time, an athlete will always learn more from failure than success. Losing is sometimes needed to truly humble a person and open their eyes to reality. You will not always will win, things are not always going to work in your favor, and you will never be the best athlete are just a few I have learned over my time playing for the Cougars. While it may seem like a pessimistic point of view, these lessons learned speak much louder than words and begin to prepare an individual for new obstacles in

life.
Sometimes on the field, kids have to grow up faster than planned. The first time I experienced a situation like this was my first ever varsity football game against Centralia; I was thrown into action onto the offensive line going up against 250 lbs linemen... I was 5’8” and 170 lbs. I was supposed to be a running back, but three weeks prior of the season starting, the coaches decided to switch me over. By my sophomore season I was given the duty of calling the defense from the middle linebacker position, while also starting on the offensive line and all special teams. Sometimes, however, throwing young athletes to the wolves gives them the opportunity to show much so more than just playing ability. Oftentimes you will see attributes such as heart, grit, and fight one possesses that many situations cannot truly show. These skills not only show who you are, but rather give a preview of what is to come.
Truthfully, I would not be the man I am today if I never played sports. It’s more than just a game to me; it is something you can embrace and make part of an individual’s lifestyle. I’m doing everything in my ability to soak in all I can from the remaining days of my high school career and prepare those who will follow in my footsteps. Sports allow for the opportunity to show what an athlete is truly capable of, while also allowing athletes to expand and grow as a person. I just hope that sports will continue to have impacts on all people’s lives in the manner it did on me.