The majority of my lacrosse career depended upon my natural talent. With little work, I could coast and still outclass the majority of my teammates. That is, I could until I was pushed onto varsity as a sophomore. Instead of getting the steady playing time I expected, I was only permitted to enter the game when things got out out hand. Frustrated, I asked my father what I could do to earn a reliable spot on the field, and he told me that if I augmented talent with practice and outworked the rest of my teammates, there would be no reason for Coach to keep me off the field. Desperate to play, I followed his advice, alienating team members along the way while I gave 110% in practice, refusing to give them the free pass they thought they deserved.
When I finally got to take the field in a game that was already out of reach, I didn’t roll over like most of my team; instead I exploded onto the field. It gave my game a whole new depth of emotion. I intimidated the other team purely through the determination that I channeled, and my knowledge of that fact stirred an entirely new sensation within my chest. My work was beginning to pay off, and I became determined to replicate that feeling. …show more content…
In a defensive position, I would have to relearn my skills with a stick that is twice as big and learn new strategies and techniques. In that position, I had to hit the reset button on almost everything that I had been doing before. My desire to play and my new willingness to work, however, overrode my fear of failure. I took my 100% and made it into 120%, spending hours every afternoon after school perfecting my footwork and throwing a ball against the
When I finally got to take the field in a game that was already out of reach, I didn’t roll over like most of my team; instead I exploded onto the field. It gave my game a whole new depth of emotion. I intimidated the other team purely through the determination that I channeled, and my knowledge of that fact stirred an entirely new sensation within my chest. My work was beginning to pay off, and I became determined to replicate that feeling. …show more content…
In a defensive position, I would have to relearn my skills with a stick that is twice as big and learn new strategies and techniques. In that position, I had to hit the reset button on almost everything that I had been doing before. My desire to play and my new willingness to work, however, overrode my fear of failure. I took my 100% and made it into 120%, spending hours every afternoon after school perfecting my footwork and throwing a ball against the