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Anya Martin

Prof. Vicki Stalbird

English 1101

6 September 2018

From Getting Cut to Feeling Great

I think everyone knows the quote of “everything happens for a reason.” It sounds

cheesy, but I truly think getting cut from my High School happened for a reason. It not

only helped me find a different sports passion. I also found passion in school, journaling

and writing. I had attended all optional summer workouts for the High School soccer

team. I knew I wasn’t the best but I wanted to show the coach I was committed to

getting better. He obviously did not see my commitment. After 3 tense days of tryouts

the coach called my mom to explain that I did not make the team. When my mom told

me this news, I was anxiously sitting on my living room couch. My heart dropped, I felt a

wave of devastation and confusion take over. I cried in embarrassment all night. The

worst part was that all my friends had made it. It was so hard to explain to people that I

got cut because everyone knew I had played soccer since 4th grade. I was so ashamed

and self-conscious about it. What a terrible way to start freshman year. I was very

discouraged about how my year ago with academics and athletics. I predicted my effort

this year in school would be pathetic, I was going to give up. Thankfully, my parents

encouraged me to find another sport or activity, that helped with everything.

The next chapter of my life started when my brother’s friend encouraged me and

my parents that cross country would be a great alternative. I definitely did not want to be

sportless throughout High School, but cross country? I knew I was desperate but that
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sounded absolutely crazy to me.. running.. long distances.. everyday.. for fun? Well 3

days later I found myself at my first of many cross country practices. The workouts were

grueling. Cross country wore me out but strangely enough I found an increasingly

strong love for it. The coaches told me they were surprised with my natural ability to run.

This gave me a huge confidence boost. I never usually was praised for anything I did so

this seemed crazy to me, a good crazy. I started getting excited for practice. Every

morning it was getting easier to get up for school. I started to think I might have found

something I loved. I wanted to prove to the coaches everyday that I had some running

talent. Since I was only a freshmen my role models were the cross country seniors. In

the simplest way possibly to say it, these girls were smart and fast. I wanted to be just

as talented as them in school also. This wish did come true. Then my first meet came,

and lets just say I was clueless on how this whole cross country fiasco would go. With

being new to cross country, meets seemed crazy overwhelming. I had only gone

through about a week of practice at this point but here I was about to run against

hundreds of other girls. I ran this course with absolutely no strategy, simply just ran. I

got top 30 and earned myself a medal. I was ecstatic but truly had no idea what I had

actually just accomplished.My coach told me I earned a spot on varsity and that she

was happy I found something that I could thrive in. From this point on, I was determined

to get better at this whole running thing. With support coaches and family, this was

achieved. While getting better at running, my school life and determination started to

rise.

Through becoming dedicated to becoming the best possible runner I could be, I

was starting to brush off the soccer embarrassment I had gone through. I realized that
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you get out of everything what you put in. This began to affect my school work. I

became much better at time management with practice and school work. I used to go

home after school and procrastinate like always. Now I would go straight to practice

after school, go home after practice, eat dinner, then begin right away on my school

work. With the constant idea of putting in more, you get out more, I was ready to

endeavour the school year. I started to put more effort into my school work. With very

intelligent role models I wanted to be just like them. I became dedicated to paying

attention in class, getting all my homework done, and studying hard. My grades began

to skyrocket, my teachers were proud of me, and I was very determined in school. I

made my projects become more meaningful to me. My grades were pristine and I was

always pushing myself to be the best I could. As a student, I was starting to understand

how I learn best, study the most effective, and do whatever possible to master topics in

school. Through all this I found a great respect for journaling. Everynight, once all work

was completed, I would sit in my bed and write about my day in my small yellow

notebook. I would explain how my running went that day and what was happening in

school. It may sound nerdy but I would try to use my new english vocab words in my

journal. Sometimes, I would write about what I was learning about in school and what I

thought about these topics. Through writing everyday I believe it helped me become a

better writer. I would write down what I felt stressed about and how to fix it. To me,

journaling was a method of relaxation and an escape. I found a love for it and still do it 3

years later as a junior. My freshmen year went from getting cut and feeling stuck in a rut

to being prosperous in academics and athletics.

I continued to have a successful cross country season as well as getting it done

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in the classroom. I kept this lifestyle year round of pushing myself to be the best runner I

could be and constantly trying to better my knowledge and work ethic in school.

Although I still continue to run year round with cross country and track, cross country

will always have a special place in my heart over track. I truly believe it taught me work

ethic in school and in many other areas . I am thankful to have become more

successful in school and writing and most importantly finding journaling.