In ninth grade, there were many activities I wanted to try. From the variety of clubs to the competitive sports, I had a difficult time deciding on what I wanted to do. What I finally decided on was the swim team. But the problem is - I didn't know how to swim. Out of all the million activities I could've join, I've joined the swim team. I should've known what I was getting myself into, but apparently my head wasn't above water. The first day of practice came and everyone got dressed.What awaited me was the 15 ft. deep pool. Its clear blue water reflected the ceiling above as it reeked of chlorine. I could see the bottom of the pool from where I stood. I shivered at the thought of having to swim in that. Practice started and everything went downhill from there. With no surprise, I struggled with everything. From flips to turns, from backstrokes to freestyle, I couldn't even swim. I was that one kid who would always go last and would always finish last on the team. At this point, I began to question and doubt myself. It's no use to even join swim. I'll never get any better, so why even try? “You'll get better,” coach would always remind me. “ Yeah right, like I will get any better,” I would sigh. On my first meet, I had to sit out because I wasn't ready to compete yet. On my second meet, I got last place and was disqualified. I was determined to …show more content…
A cold breeze went up my spine causing my teeth to clatter. My whole body was numb, from my fingers to my toes. My legs began to shake uncontrollably, so bad that I held onto the starting block with a tenacious grip, hoping that I will not fall into the waters below. I can feel the hairs on my arms slowly rising as my heart was beating faster and harder as every second went by. Adrenaline wildly flowed through me as I tugged and pulled down on my cap. There it was; the sound of the buzzer, yelling at me to leave. Inhaling a great amount of air, I jumped into the freezing cold
I have been swimming year-round on a club team since the age of six and when I was younger improving came relatively easily. However, around age 13, I hit a training plateau despite having the same work ethic and focus that I had previously had. I grew to despise swimming and at points I wanted to quit. However, unlike Junior, I had role models and mentors who were positive influences on me and who helped me to overcome this challenge. Primarily, I had several of my best friends on the team who convinced me to keep persevering and to not simply quit the sport that I loved so much just because I was no longer dropping time. For example, every day I watch my close friends Lizanne and Cate come to practice and give it their all, regardless of the numerous injuries and medical issues that plagued their swimming career; their positive outlook and dedication motivated me to try even harder than I had before. Moreover, I had by parents, something that Junior did not have; my parents were always there to support me after yet another disappointing meet reminding me that “you get five minutes for a win and five minutes for a lost”. My parents where my voice of reason as I tried to work through my issues; they were always there to encourage me, but also were very honest with me
This pool is my soul, and the slight, gentle waves are the beating of my heart. I stand on the deck looking down at the clear, calm water, and raise my hands above my head. I dive into the water, smooth and straight like an arrow. I enter the water without a splash, and glide underwater, feeling the cool water on my skin, and the scent of chlorine in the air. I feel powerful, immortal, and completely at peace.
Sullivan is still trying to decide on obvious requirements for students to keep track of in order to stay on or join the swim team. “Obviously grades are a requirement,” Sullivan imposed, “Eligibility has to be there.” The main focus that Sullivan wants is for people to come in and know how to swim. Of course, to join a competitive swim team you need to know how to swim, “it doesn’t have to be the prettiest stroke… I don’t mind if I have to break stuff down for people,” Sullivan reinstated. Thought the time has passed for girls’ swimming, you can still try to get in for this winter season. Sullivan wants to be able to include as many people as possible and is happy to accept new people. For the coming spring season, boys who want to swim need to “have their golden ticket, a physical, parent permission slip, and all the dues in” to be able to swim.
It was a very cool day, overcast with a drip of rain here and there. Waves were vicious, water was as cold as the arctic, and my weak body was always being compared to a pencil. I began my swim as I attempted to avert the waves but, I seemed impossible. They kept pushing me back, yelling at me to go back to the beach, today is not your day. The waves, they swept me away with ease. I was a squirrel in a dog's mouth, a ragdoll, being tossed every which way. Tossed off balance underwater, I was baffled. My lungs whimpered for air, my body slowly drifting away. The aspect was blackening, the whole world spinning in circles, then, I felt weightless…
Athletics has made a difference in my life through its redefining of the word “success.” Before I got involved with track and cross country, success was measured by goals I set and achieved for myself that made me happy. Since then, I have realized that success is much more gratifying when it is dependent on making those around me proud. In track, success is when I have trained hard enough so that I am able to help my relay team win a race or break the school record. In cross country, success is when I have built up enough endurance to contribute to the team score and help my team move on to the state meet. This mentality has translated to my daily life, as I am constantly working hard to please those around me. At school, I always do my homework and get good grades so that my teachers do not have to focus extra energy on getting me to do my work. At work, I strive to go above and beyond my typical duties so that I can lessen the responsibilities of my co-workers. At home, I help out with chores without being asked so that my parents can have one less thing
My sweat soaked shirt was clinging to my throbbing sunburn, and the salty droplets scalded my tender skin. “I need this water,” I reminded myself when my head started to fill with terrifying thoughts of me passing out on this ledge. I had never been so relieved to see this glistening, blissful water. As inviting as the water looked, the heat wasn't the only thing making my head spin anymore. Not only was the drop a horrifying thought, but I could see the rocks through the surface of the water and couldn't push aside the repeating notion of my body bouncing off them when I hit the bottom. I needed to make the decision to jump, and fast. Standing at the top of the cliff, it was as if I could reach out and poke the searing sun. Sweat dripped from my forehead, down my nose, and on its way to my dry, cracked lips which I licked to find a salty droplet. My shirt, soaked with perspiration, was now on the ground as I debated my
During my four years of high school I believe that my involvement in sports has helped me become a better person in life. I participated in varsity basketball and Track & Field all four years and my experience in both sports has taught me life lessons that I can carry with me for the rest of my life.
Sweat, aching muscles, and green spread out before me. I’d been practicing, I went hard and did my best to improve in every possible aspect. I worked not only on my form, my precision, and my power, but also on my mind; my mental game. I had to tell myself I could do it, I had to be confident in myself, no reassurance from others. I was told I had no chance, how could I win. I was expected to lose, and I thought I would.
“I’ve often wondered what it would be like if we taught young people swimming the same way we teach sexuality. If we told them that swimming was an important adult activity one they will all have to be skilled at when they grow up, but we never talked with them about it. We never showed them the pool . . . but when they asked a question about how swimming felt or what it was about, they would be greeted with blank or embarrassed looks . . . Miraculously, some might learn to tread water, but many would drown” (11).
I love volleyball even though it has not always been easy. I have had a lot of problems during my volleyball journey that have helped me grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. I started playing volleyball in fifth grade on the middle school team and am now playing on JV. I did not get a lot of playing time when I first started, but I practiced and learned the basics of the game. I developed a love for the game with a great group of girls that I looked up to, during my first season. I have not always had the best team and coach, though.
It was all happening so quickly, and I remembered how hot I was, with the humidity making me sweat as if I had just ran a marathon, and the siren getting louder and louder, and the sound of the rushing water becoming louder and louder and the water rushing faster until suddenly, I fell and began cascading
“BEEP!” the buzzer goes off. We were off like cheetahs after prey into the water. All the thoughts that are coming to my mind as a swim through the crystal blue water are, what will happen to me if I don’t take enough breaths and pass out? What will happen if I miss the wall and end up getting disqualified? What if I choke on water and get last, what if I get last? As were swimming everytime that I took a breath, I can hear the crowd cheering as loud as lions.
What can you say when you see a five foot, six-inch Asian male playing on the volleyball courts? Can you say that he is their leader? Can you say he truly belongs on the court as their leader? Or do you look blindly at the taller players, believing it was them that brought the team together? Even though there is no “I” in team, there is someone that unites them behind the curtain. That someone is me.
That day it started early in the morning; I went to the practice pool and put on my gear to get ready. The pool was full of people and lots of noise that makes me more nervous than ever. I dipped my toes in the freezing water. It was ice-cold just like the freezing cold water at the bay, and almost all lanes were full with kids and teens; they were getting ready for the big race, just like me trying to fit into the environment. With all the sound around me, it was starting to distract me from the race.
Swimming has been my whole life, since I jumped into the pool for the very first time. I loved every aspect of swimming from the adrenaline running through my body during my races and getting to spend even more time with my friends and my sister, and the stress of big meets coming up in the schedule. Except everything didn't go according to plan after the first day of school when I got home and I saw my parents sitting by my sister on the coach and my sister was crying.