Winners never quit; quitters never win. This has been my motto ever since I read the book Winners Never Quit! by Mia Hamm. I muttered it to myself as I stepped out onto the track. The season had been frustrating. I had contemplated quitting, but I kept repeating my motto plus I loved the sport. My event was high jump, and I excelled at it too. My goal for the season had been to break the school record. I was not making significant progress, but it was the last meet, and I knew I had the strength do it.
We were competing against Center Grove. They were a top-notch team and we did not expect to win. I remember having mixed feelings about that night. I was excited to compete, but at the same time I did not want the season to be over. I was nervous; so nervous. Through my anxiety, I still felt that something great was going to happen. While I warmed up, I thought back on my season so far. I had been having a decent season; I had won almost every meet. At the time, my personal record was 4’8”, but I knew I could improve.
My favorite coach, Tim, came up to me, “Just relax,” he said, “You have no reason to be nervous.”
“I’m not nervous,” I lied, “School record here I come.” At the time, I was completely joking. I continued warming up feeling a little more confident. As I glanced over at the other girls, they were …show more content…
Now, I have more faith in my abilities because I succeeded. I know now that not everything is easy, but that does not mean it is impossible. Although I am still hard on myself, both for grades and high jump, I learned that it is alright to fail as long as I try hard. Learning this has helped me in both sports and academics. It has taught me self-discipline, and that I have to give effort to get a result. Reaching my goal has taught me perseverance. High jump has helped me grow and learn, and I will carry these lessons with me for the rest of my
We were competing against Center Grove. They were a top-notch team and we did not expect to win. I remember having mixed feelings about that night. I was excited to compete, but at the same time I did not want the season to be over. I was nervous; so nervous. Through my anxiety, I still felt that something great was going to happen. While I warmed up, I thought back on my season so far. I had been having a decent season; I had won almost every meet. At the time, my personal record was 4’8”, but I knew I could improve.
My favorite coach, Tim, came up to me, “Just relax,” he said, “You have no reason to be nervous.”
“I’m not nervous,” I lied, “School record here I come.” At the time, I was completely joking. I continued warming up feeling a little more confident. As I glanced over at the other girls, they were …show more content…
Now, I have more faith in my abilities because I succeeded. I know now that not everything is easy, but that does not mean it is impossible. Although I am still hard on myself, both for grades and high jump, I learned that it is alright to fail as long as I try hard. Learning this has helped me in both sports and academics. It has taught me self-discipline, and that I have to give effort to get a result. Reaching my goal has taught me perseverance. High jump has helped me grow and learn, and I will carry these lessons with me for the rest of my