Soccer: The Battle to be Won

The fall of 2008 was the start of my senior year in high school. As well, it was my final season playing soccer on a team. I believe soccer is the greatest game ever invented, and I think it is safe to say that the whole world agrees with me. I really wanted to be on a good team that year and win every game. That did not happen. My team lost every single game that fall. I was so disappointed and mad. Since I was the oldest on the team and was the captain, I have to take most of the responsibity for the team's shortcomings. I was on a team with a group of sophomores. I knew that being older meant I had to be a leader. I had to lead by example. I had to encourage my teammates and not put them down. Every single game, I arrived an hour before game time. I was the first one there, and the last one to leave for every single game and for every single practice. I never gave up on a play. I always pushed myself harder and harder as the season progressed. I organized people into positions before the games. I knew how to have fun on the soccer field, but most important, I knew how to get things done. Being the captain of my 12th grade soccer team was a defining moment in my life. But, that year was not the best either. I value sportsmanship deeply, but looking back on that season, I did not have much of it. This is partially due to the fact that I was born to be super competitive with other people in whatever I do. The soccer field is where I released my anger and aggression. Instead of releasing anger in shooting the ball, I released my aggression on my teammates, opponents, coaches, parents, fans, and refs. I am deeply, deeply sorry. I take full responsibility for being a bad sport in the game of soccer. I ruined the experience to play for many. I know what I did was wrong, and it hurt the team throughout the season. I did not know what I was thinking. I want to apologize to the parents, fans, and spectators who heard my swearing, who heard my put downs, and saw my anger. I want to apologize to my teammates for not having enough fun, for taking things too seriously, and for not encouraging and helping them when they needed it. I apologize to the coaches (mine and the opponent's) for ruining the fun and the excitement and the art in the game of soccer. I am sorry for not giving coaches the respect they deserve to have fully. I want to say sorry to the refs for putting up with me. I am sorry for talking back and not respecting their calls. Refs are in the position of authority for soccer. I am sorry for my choices. I apologize to my opponents for those who I have hurt physically or emotionally. I am sorry for not being a good sport. I am sorry for ruining the game for my opponents with my words, my actions, my behavior, and my bad sportsmanship. I have enjoyed playing soccer for most of my life. I am proud of the contributions I have made to this game and the positive influence I have had on other people. Just like in soccer, I hope to make positive experiences with the people around me.

My Greatest Accomplishment

In my opinion, chess is the greatest games in the world. Plus, it is one of the oldest. Chess is a game of strategy requiring a lot of thinking, planning, and creativity to win a game. A Chess match can go on for hours, or it can be as short as two minutes. In elementary school and junior high, chess was a big part of my life. Chess was my identity. I first began playing chess when I was in 3rd grade. That was when I joined the chess club at Vista View Elementary School. The club was not very big. It was a small group of kids having fun by learning and playing the game of chess. I owe a lot to my chess coach in 3rd grade and 4th grade for helping me improve my game. He made me passionate for this awesome game. With his help, I became one of the best players in my school and in the district. It was 5th grade. I was at a chess tournament at Metcalf Junior High School in Burnsville. The tournament was for District 191 chess players only. I remember I had to wake up early, so my dad and I could get there at eight to register. This was on a Saturday morning, but on the Friday night before, I was up practicing and practicing. I wanted to come extra prepared to this tournament. There were a lot of people there with each school represented in the district. Byrne, Harriet Bishop, and Hidden Valley had the dominant chess teams. Vista View was not known for its size of the team, but quite a lot of parents, students, and teachers came. I mainly practiced with my teammates, but I also got the chance to play with other kids from different schools as well like Sioux Trail, Neill, and Hidden Valley. During my elementary school days, my favorite place to go to were the chess tournaments. I felt like I belonged. I fitted in with everyone else for once. I felt like I was a somebody at the tournaments. The tournament I was at had five rounds with each player playing five different players from different schools from the same age group. I was playing in the group including 3rd graders to 6th graders. I started out the tournament strong by beating my first two opponents. Honestly, I shocked myself in how well I did those first two rounds. After those first two rounds, I had a huge smile on my face because I was just having so much fun. It was the third round though that was the most challenging for me. I was in fifth grade, and he was a sixth grader from Sioux Trail. We went right down to the wire. We were the last game of that round. Everyone was watching us. The pressure was on. Everyone was staring at me. The chess clock was making me nervous. Neither me or my opponent had many pieces left on the board. Finally, after a long, breath-taking battle, my opponent came out victorious (but it was almost a stalemate). I knew I was disappointed in myself, but I knew I had to rebound quickly because there was not much time until the fourth round started since our game was the last of the 3rd round. I regained my focus, and I was ready for my next challenger. I sat patiently at the table waiting for him. He came up to the table, and I shook his hand. He was only in second grade, and he went to Marion Savage Elementary. He was a very nice kid. He was undefeated in the tournament so far (3-0), but I was hoping to change that. I started out the match really well. My strategy and planning was working to perfection. It just seemed like I was making all the right moves. Then, all of a sudden, two of his friends came up to the board and started to make so much noise. They were being a huge distraction. I lost my focus, and my opponent was making a comeback. I was becoming mad that I threatened them to leave. When they left, all was back to normal. The game ended in a tie. I will always remember that game. I should have easily won that game. I still hold a grudge at my opponent and his friends for being poor sports for such a highly dignified, respected game. So, after winning the first two rounds, I lost the third and had a draw in the fourth. I ended up winning in the fifth round, and I finished my day with 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Just think, I could have had a perfect 5-0 record if I was not so nervous in the third round, and if I was not playing babies in the fourth match. After all 5 rounds are completed, the tournament is over except for the awards ceremony. I finished twelfth place overall in the tournament, a fact which was good enough to earn me "Top 5th Grader in District 191." Don't believe me? I have a trophy in my room to prove it. Everyone was so proud of me including my teammates, my coach, the parents, my opponents, and my dad. I was so proud of myself. I earned this. I worked so hard to get this award. This is the greatest accomplishment of my life. I will never forget that entire day. I felt like I was on top of the world. It felt so good to be honored with such a prestigious award for such an extravagant game. I thank God for my abilities, my talents, and for always being right by my side. God has done amazing things in my life, but this is probably one of the greatest. I had so much fun. I was exhausted and ready to head home. I could hardly sleep because I was so excited. For the next month, that trophy was on my nightstand. If I were to ever to make a time capsule, that is one thing that I would put in there. It is a good symbol of me. It represents my hardwork, persistence, patience, good sportsmanship, my intelligence, and my childhood. The next day, I took the trophy to church to show everybody. People congratulated me and were proud of me. I had a huge smile on my face. This trophy and award brought me more publicity. The following week I was on VVTV (Vista View Television). Everyone in the school saw me on the morning announcements as I was being interviewed about the event. This experience was amazing. It has taught me many things. It has shaped me into who I am today. As long as I shall live, I will never stop playing the game that defined me-chess.

Leadership

What is your opinion about leadership? Are you a leader unto others, or are you a follower among many? How important is leadership to you? In other words, what is your philosophy on leadership? The bottom line is that I believe we should all lead by example. All people on this Earth will have times in their lives when they need to step up and be a leader. Also, all people are going to have to humbly step down and be followers. This world needs listeners. This world needs role models. Leadership is a two-way street. It is duality. There is a part of me that shows leadership. There is also a part of me that follows. These two halves are key in my life. They come together to form a unified whole. I have been known to be shy, but I know when the right time is to step up and take action. I am a leader on the soccer field. On the field, I lead by example. During practice, I always arrive early. I am usually the first one there. Plus, I am usually the last one to leave. I encourage and uplift my teammates with positive comments. I work hard through every play. I give 110% to my coach, my teammates, the refs, the game, and to having fun. I always find ways to help improve the team. I always try my best to win the game. While at the same time I am showing goods sportsmanship and having lots of fun. In 9th grade, I remember playing soccer with a bunch of 7th graders. I could tell most of those guys looked up to me because I was the captain, I had more playing experience, and I was an exciting guy to hang out with. They were always hanging around me on the sidelines. They always talked with me and laughed with me. They would always invite me over to their houses after the games. Even the coach that year expected me to be a huge role model to these younger kids. We did not win a game all that season, but I had fun because I got the chance to influence these youngsters in a positive, uplifting way. No one can ever take this experience away from me. That moment defined who I was and who I was meant to be. I believe I was put on this Earth to be a leader, to help other people, to encourage, to show compassion, to have fun, and to leave a lasting impact on others' lives. I could never have had the strength to lead that soccer team without God. This experience in my life has been a great awakening. I learned I needed to live for God in everything I do. I need to shine the light of Jesus Christ wherever I go with my life. I need to show kindness to others just like Jesus shows compassion and kindness to me. In order to be a good leader, I need to go into battle fully prepared standing strong on the Frontline.

Best Friend

Growing up, did you have a best friend who made you laugh, made you smile, supported you, and cared for you? I sure did. His name was Josh. I met Josh probably when I was in 5th grade. Josh is a very energetic, enthusiastic, and kind person to spend time with. I really did not start spending time with him until I was in junior high. We got to hang out at church youth group on Sunday and Wednesday nights. Everytime I saw Josh, he was always so nice to me. He would always talk to me, listen to me, ask me questions, and he even invited me to play football with him sometimes. With me being shy, I needed a friend like Josh in my life to encourage me and to include me. I remember going on church retreats with him a few times. He would talk to me on the bus, play football and basketball with me, and I just enjoyed seeing him. We also had a lot in common. We both played baseball. We both played music. Josh played the guitar in the youth worship band. I play the piano. We even both liked the Philadelphia Eagles. Josh was random, outgoing, and very entertaining. I did not have much friends back then, but I am glad Josh reached out to me. I am happy Josh and I met. I am glad we could get to know each other. He has taught me so much. A couple of years later, his family moved down to Georgia. After the going away party, I would never get the chance to see him again. I miss Josh to this very day. He showed me compassion when not many other people would. He respecte me for who I was. He never tried to change me like most friends do. Josh is a very passionate person. He leads by example. He has a good heart. I can tell he is on Fire for Jesus. He has a heart of gold. Even though he is a little bit younger than me (less than a month apart), I look up to him. He is a good role model to his little brother, Jeremy. Josh is so cool. Josh is a very special person. I thank him for being such an awesome friend towards me. Thank you, Josh. You are such a wonderful amigo.

Me

Who am I? Because I sure do not know.

A good friend

What kind of person is a good friend? A good friend is someone who makes you laugh and who cares about you. A good friend is also someone who will spend time with you and who shares the same interests as you. A friend like this will make life worth while. Friends are extremely important to me in my life. It is always important to have a few close friends with you.
I remember one of my good friends, Kyle. We met at Camp Shamineau back when I was in 7th grade (he was in 6th grade). We shared many common interests that really sparked our frienship despite being a year apart in age.
Kyle loved to play video games. Whenever he got the chance, he would play. When we hung out togeter, we would even play video games. We would always have fun playing football together up at camp as well. With Kyle, it is impossible not to have fun. He is so energetic and enthusiastic.
Plus, he is a very funny person; he can make me laugh all the time. I am glad I am friends with Kyle. Kyle is a one of a kind friend and anyone who is his friend is lucky. I admire Kyle so much that I wish I could be as funny, energetic, and cool as he is.
Who would be a best friend? A best friend is someone who you have met before, shares your common interests, and enjoys doing activities with you. A best friend has some unique charactersitics that make him a good, best friend. My friend, Kyle, is a good, best friend because we had met before up at camp. Our common interests include sports like soccer and baseball. He is funny, energetic, and enthusiastic, but he is not always the brightest one. My friend, Kyle, truly is an awesome, one of a kind friend!

Frontline

Today,I find myself with more questions than answers. I find myself with more pain and sorrow than joy and happiness. I find myself struggling daily. In my life, I see chaos, disorder, and confusion. I see my life as a constant battle. I am constantly fighting on the frontline. And I am not prepared. Everyday it seems like I go into battle with a missing shield, sword, helmet, or breastplate. I do not know what my goals and dreams are. Sure, I see hope and strength in the future. But, what about now? Today, I feel lonely. I feel sad. Today, I feel like I have nobody to talk to. There is no one who wants to listen to what I have to say. Too many people have come into my life telling me what to do. They do not care what I think or what I want to do at all. Not too many people have really gotten to know the real me. I am sick of being treated like garbage. I want respect. Do not tell me how to live my life. Do not tell me what to do. This is my life, not yours. Whatever choices I make in life are MY decisions. I admit my life is not perfect, and that I need help from time to time. I need people supporting and encouraging me daily. Today, I look at myself in the mirror. Sometimes, I do not even know who I am anymore. I do sure hope things will be better in the future. My life is just one big challenging race as I try to reach the finish line. It has gotten to the point where I do not even want to live in this world anymore. It is too depressing.