My heart was pounding and it felt like everyone’s eyes were on me. As their anticipation radiated from the bleachers, I craved the attention. The basketball was in my hands and as the final seconds ticked by, I released the shot I had practiced for years. I watched the ball dip below the rim before rattling out into the opponent's hands. The buzzer sounded and the final score showed my team down by two. With one shot, I ended the season for everyone. This event was the gust of wind that blew down my straw house of self confidence. The weeks following the game were rocky, to say the least. I felt self conscious over every little thing, which did not make sense to me at first. After hours of introspection, I realized that I put too much of
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Finally, I was hit with a genius plan that I honestly hated. I was going to put myself in situations miles outside of my comfort zone, where I would be forced to exude an aura of confidence. I started with seemingly small actions that I would rarely do before, like raising my hand in class or talking to classmates that I did not know particularly well. As I began to feel less awkward performing those tasks, I asked my coach to put me in charge of open gyms for elementary school kids. I was never much of a leader, but once I started directing younger kids and teaching them how to play basketball, that began to change. Although those situations were difficult for me, they were not the worst, because the peak of my uneasiness took place two weeks before the start of my senior …show more content…
The director gave us two options: blend in with everyone else and be average, or get over yourself and become a true leader. Deep down, I did not want to stand out. I knew no one at this camp and I would be embarrassed if I messed up. The first day, I conveniently hid behind my outgoing peers, I was turning back to my old habits. I thought back to the question my coach asked me, and I knew I did not want to waste this opportunity. I became more vocal and volunteered in front of the entire camp. By the end of the three days, I became one of the twenty captains out of 140 high schoolers.
After Point Guard College, I knew I had changed since that tournament game in February. All the hard challenges that I put myself through had paid off. Sometimes, I wondered what my life would have been like if I made that shot. Of course, I would have been a hero at the time, finally getting the results and recognition I desperately desired. However, everything happens for a reason, and although I would have given everything to have made that shot, because I didn’t, my perseverance through uncomfortable situations has pushed me to become a confident leader, ready to push myself even
Finally, I was hit with a genius plan that I honestly hated. I was going to put myself in situations miles outside of my comfort zone, where I would be forced to exude an aura of confidence. I started with seemingly small actions that I would rarely do before, like raising my hand in class or talking to classmates that I did not know particularly well. As I began to feel less awkward performing those tasks, I asked my coach to put me in charge of open gyms for elementary school kids. I was never much of a leader, but once I started directing younger kids and teaching them how to play basketball, that began to change. Although those situations were difficult for me, they were not the worst, because the peak of my uneasiness took place two weeks before the start of my senior …show more content…
The director gave us two options: blend in with everyone else and be average, or get over yourself and become a true leader. Deep down, I did not want to stand out. I knew no one at this camp and I would be embarrassed if I messed up. The first day, I conveniently hid behind my outgoing peers, I was turning back to my old habits. I thought back to the question my coach asked me, and I knew I did not want to waste this opportunity. I became more vocal and volunteered in front of the entire camp. By the end of the three days, I became one of the twenty captains out of 140 high schoolers.
After Point Guard College, I knew I had changed since that tournament game in February. All the hard challenges that I put myself through had paid off. Sometimes, I wondered what my life would have been like if I made that shot. Of course, I would have been a hero at the time, finally getting the results and recognition I desperately desired. However, everything happens for a reason, and although I would have given everything to have made that shot, because I didn’t, my perseverance through uncomfortable situations has pushed me to become a confident leader, ready to push myself even