Looking Back to Now

Thanksgiving allowed me to return home for an extended stretch of days -- a nice luxury considering the busy schedule I've kept since leaving home in the beginning of August. While at home, I not only stuffed my face, but also stuffed my personal recollection cabinet. I found an old CD wallet that held, among many other mixes, my football pre-game CD from my senior year in high school.

It was, however, another CD caught my eye because of its simple label of, "Personal Statement." I'm not sure to which school this particular document was sent, but I find it interesting because I'm still saying some of the same things now as I said back then. Only now I'm on the other side, re-iterating these ideas to the student-athletes that I coach.

Here's the statement, unedited in its entirety (so please excuse my grammatical and spelling errors):

A great person and coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” Leaders also carry different names, such as “captain” and “top of the class.” Going in to my senior year, I had these titles placed beside my name. Leadership is doing everything needed behind the scenes to prepare for what is to come.
My teammates, whether it was in football or wrestling, have helped me to know my role as leader. They did not pick me because I was their best friend or because I forced them to do so. They picked me because they thought I would be a good representative of our team and be of help if they needed it.
I have always been told that sports will help you in all aspects of life. Physically you are called to push yourself beyond limits. Mentally, you have to be tough, or you can crumble underneath. But no matter how many wins and losses, receptions, takedowns, fumbles, interceptions, pins, or dropped passes you have in a high school career, you have to get up and go to school the next day. You have to be able to look at what you’ve done in the past and know those experiences will help you prepare for the future.
My athletic mentality has also helped me in the classroom. In sports, you need to prepare everyday for upcoming opponents. In academics, you need to review everyday for upcoming tests. I have shown my proficiency in the academic aspect through class rank and ACT scores, evidence of hard work out of the classroom showing up in the classroom.
I feel that my athletic, academic, spiritual, and social involvements thus far in my life have prepared me to take the next step. I have what it takes to be a leader at your school, and I ask for the opportunity to start with my acceptance.
Not every person is made to continue their education at an institution of higher learning. By the same token, not every person is made to be a factory worker, waitress, or telemarketer. Each person has his or her place in society; to fulfill his or her occupational destiny. I know that I can contribute to society by completing the steps necessary to become a professional in my field. The first step in this process is to fulfill my coursework in college, a step I want to complete at your school.
Leadership skills apply to academics as well as athletics. Those who play sports during school are called student-athletes, students first. I have proven that I can be a leader in the classroom, and I ask you for the opportunity to lead in your classrooms.