Personal Narrative: My Life As A College Athlete

She tracks the movements of the ball while checking her peripherals for any opposition. When her chance is offered, she takes it and reaches to swipe the ball from her opponent. She smiles determinedly as her hand swipes only air ― ¬¬the other player is more experienced. She shifts her feet to keep up with her quick-footed challenger and her breaths come in brief bursts while sweat runs from every pore. Her mind is focused, determined to triumph against the other team. The only sounds that enter her mind are that of the squeak of shoes and the calls of her teammates and coach. Her focus is impenetrable; thoughts of the outside world around her are prohibited. Gone are the worries over grades and homework and pressures to please her parents and to fit in with others her age. She is no longer a student, a daughter, an awkward preteen; in her place stands a player of Albert Einstein's basketball team. She's a teammate determined to work with her team to achieve victory over the rivals. This girl was me four years ago, playing my first year of basketball, the first …show more content…
Unsure of myself at first, I was nervous throughout the beginning introductions. However, by the end of the two hours that day, I was hooked. An unquenchable thirst for practice in this new skill overtook my entire eighth grade year. I stepped into a world where I wasn't given the easy shortcuts because I was smart, I had to work for every improvement I wished to see. I fell in love with showing up every single day and pushing myself past any limitations present, both physically and mentally. I became surer of myself and the meager confidence I previously exhibited developed as I tested every limit my body had and began seeing minor improvements in my skills, derived only from the hard work and time I put into