college essay

I​ ​love​ ​the​ ​wrestling​ ​sport​ ​and​ ​when​ ​I​ ​was​ ​10​ ​years​ ​old,​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​join​ ​national

wrestling​ ​team.​ ​​ ​​ ​I​ ​was​ ​convinced​ ​that​ ​I​ ​can​ ​do​ ​that.​ ​​ ​I​ ​picked​ ​up​ ​my​ ​wrestling​ ​clothes​ ​a​ ​few​ ​days

before​ ​the​ ​first​ ​wrestling​ ​​ ​practice​ ​and​ ​strolled​ ​in​ ​thinking​ ​this​ ​would​ ​be​ ​easy.​ ​However,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a

disaster!​ ​​ ​I​ ​was​ ​out​ ​of​ ​shape,​ ​the​ ​coach​ ​yelled​ ​all​ ​the​ ​time,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was​ ​completely​ ​unprepared​ ​to

wresle.​ ​​ ​I​ ​went​ ​home​ ​devastated​ ​and​ ​refused​ ​to​ ​go​ ​back.​ ​The​ ​failure​ ​and​ ​embarrassment​ ​stuck

with​ ​me​ ​and​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​my​ ​third​ ​grade​ ​of​ ​middle​ ​school.​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​try​ ​again.​ ​​ ​I​ ​attended

team​ ​meetings,​ ​started​ ​working​ ​out,​ ​signed​ ​up​ ​for​ ​a​ ​skills​ ​camp,​ ​and​ ​attended​ ​practices​ ​–​ ​but

this​ ​time​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​quit.

Our​ ​wrestling​ ​team​ ​traditionally​ ​was​ ​not​ ​very​ ​good,​ ​but​ ​my​ ​coach​ ​understood​ ​our​ ​potential.​ ​​ ​One

night,​ ​he​ ​watched​ ​a​ ​television​ ​program​ ​about​ ​another​ ​team​ ​and​ ​he​ ​​ ​decided​ ​he​ ​wanted​ ​us​ ​to

wrestle​ ​against​ ​that​ ​team.​ ​​ ​While​ ​the​ ​other​ ​team​ ​was​ ​not​ ​interested,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​alternative,​ ​my​ ​coach

asked​ ​what​ ​team​ ​in​ ​that​ ​area​ ​was​ ​the​ ​toughest​ ​and​ ​meanest​ ​team​ ​that​ ​no​ ​one​ ​wanted​ ​to

wrestle​ ​with​ ​them.​ ​​ ​It​ ​turned​ ​out​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​reform​ ​team​ ​and​ ​he​ ​scheduled​ ​a​ ​wrestle​ ​for​ ​the

following​ ​season.

When​ ​the​ ​day​ ​finally​ ​came,​ ​we​ ​climbed​ ​into​ ​the​ ​buses​ ​at​ ​our​ ​comfortable,and​ ​traveled​ ​a​ ​few

hours​ ​to​ ​the​ ​reform​ ​team.​ ​​ ​We​ ​felt​ ​out​ ​of​ ​place​ ​the​ ​moment​ ​we​ ​arrived.​ ​​ ​We​ ​stayed​ ​in​ ​a​ ​room

with​ ​bars​ ​on​ ​the​ ​windows​ ​until​ ​it​ ​was​ ​time​ ​to​ ​warm​ ​up​ ​–​ ​it​ ​felt​ ​like​ ​a​ ​prison.​ ​​ ​The​ ​other​ ​team

arrived​ ​after​ ​us​ ​and​ ​as​ ​they​ ​took​ ​the​ ​field​ ​the​ ​line​ ​of​ ​players​ ​seemed​ ​to​ ​go​ ​on​ ​forever.​ ​​ ​They

outnumbered​ ​us​ ​3​ ​to​ ​1​ ​and​ ​were​ ​much​ ​bigger​ ​and​ ​tougher​ ​looking​ ​than​ ​we​ ​were.​ ​​ ​​ ​In​ ​fact,​ ​I​ ​will

never​ ​forget​ ​lining​ ​up​ ​on​ ​my​ ​first​ ​wrestle​ ​against​ ​an​ ​opposing​ ​wrestler.