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Daniela Pedroza

Mrs. Kopiatich

ERWC Block: 6

14 November 2018

Personal Statement

There is a difference between wanting something and taking an action to achieve what

you want. The truth is, you will never succeed if you don't put in the hard work. Winning CIF

was one of my biggest accomplishments in high school because it was something I had always

wanted to accomplish. As a team captain and player in the team, I learned a lot about myself and

what I am capable of doing and achieving.

When I was was eight years old, I grew a love and passion for soccer. I had always

strived to be the best player I could be. Throughout my lifetime, soccer has helped me realize

that I am capable of being a strong player and take dedication to be better. Soccer has helped me

become more of a social person and has allowed me to step out my comfort zone. But more

importantly, it has helped me stay on track at school and out of trouble. This sport has truly led

me in a positive direction throughout my lifetime. When I entered high school, I knew I wanted

to join the soccer team. When I tried out my freshman year I made the varsity team. I was

extremely thrilled and excited to start playing. Being in the varsity team has helped me maintain

my grades and not give up on my classes no matter how difficult it would get for me. I learned

how to manage being in a

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sport and have good grades at the same time. This was definitely a challenge for me because

after practice I would be very tired but I also knew I had homework that I needed to complete.

Even though I was tired and just wanted to sleep, I managed to push myself to complete my

academic task as best as I could.

In my freshman and sophomore year, the varsity team struggled a lot. Our team consisted

of very talented players but no communication during matches whatsoever. The players were not

taking the team seriously and were not committed. Due to this, we had a faulty season my

freshman and sophomore years. We lost the majority of our games in season and did not make

playoffs for CIF. I began wanting to give up, I still loved soccer but not my team because we

would always loose and the majority of the players did not care about the team. I then realized

that I shouldn't give up just because the circumstances where getting difficult. Instead of giving

up, I realized I needed to work harder to be able to improve as an individual player and a

member of the team.

When the summer of 2017 began, I had made a promise to myself that I was going to put

in my hard work and dedication to my team. I started going to practice everyday and worked to

improved my skills on my own time as well. The coach saw that I was very committed and

hardworking so he decided to make me team captain. Being a team captain gave me a great

feeling because I always enjoyed being a leader and helping out others. Summer practices helped

our team a lot due to the fact that we were spending more time together. We grew an amazing

bond with each other and became a more united team. This great bond that our team had created

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a great connection when we played on the field. Our team had an amazing season and got first
place in our league. We qualified to go to playoffs and made it all the way to CIF for Division 3

and won. This was an amazing accomplishment because the previous years our team struggled a

lot. Winning a CIF ring was amazing because we proved everyone wrong and showed them that

we were capable of being champions. I was very proud of myself for accomplishing my goal and

for not giving up on myself or my team.

The truth is, you will never succeed if you don't put in the hard work. No matter how

difficult things get, giving up is never the answer. I learned that when things get more difficult

we should work harder and prove that you are capable of achieving your goals. Nothing is ever

given, it's earned and even though it might not be easy, it is definitely not impossible to

accomplish a goal.