By sophomore year, I had put in hours of extra practice, attended camps and really honed in on my skills and was voted to be the JV team captain by my teammates. Gradually, my perspective began to change. I realized very quickly that because I was the team captain, I was being watched as an example. This meant that the way I conducted myself around others could make an impact on them and I wanted to be sure that my impact was always positive, even in the most seemingly insignificant …show more content…
I realized that the sport had given me a much greater opportunity than just healthy athletic competition and exercise, but that it had also provided me with a way to make a difference in the lives of others. Senior year, my coaches selected me as one of three captains for the varsity team. Through this experience I was able to learn what it truly means to be a leader and conduct myself as a person of character, not just in athletics but in everything. I was finally learning the same principles that the varsity team during my freshman year had exhibited that made me admire them so much.
As a senior captain, I was given the opportunity to visit the local elementary and middle schools throughout the year to coach and mentor girls that wanted to play basketball in high school. It occurred to me that I had been in their shoes not too long before. I remembered how much I admired the varsity team when I was a younger and how I would have done anything to be just like them. At this point, I realized that though it was still important to me to win games and advance towards the goal of a state title, I had been given the chance to be an example for these girls just as the previous varsity team had been for me; and that is what really