I would like to open with a quote from Charles Swindoll. It reads, “life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it.” I am a firm believer of this statement because there will always be things out of your control, but your reaction will always be up to you. As for the positive experiences, those are the ones you cherish most, but the negatives are what teach you the most. After listening to my speech, I want you to understand how both the positive and negative experiences in my life have benefitted me. I was able to develop significant skills and relationships through the major events in my life. The first event that monumental in my personal development would be my father going overseas to Iraq with the National Guard in 2006. …show more content…
In particular, I want to talk about my experiences playing football and baseball. First, at the school I attended they did not have a football team so I figured I was out of luck. However, I discovered there was a club team that anyone in the county could play for. I joined the team as soon as I found out about it, which was in sixth grade. I played all the way through my senior year of high school. What made these times so enjoyable was the family type bond shared between all of the players and with the coaches. The coaches were father like figures, who were there to teach us more than just football. They cared more about us being outstanding young men than they cared about the type of players we were. Sure, they wanted to win as we all did, but they were interested more in developing our characters. This team dynamic made the one hour commute each day well worth …show more content…
I played that kindergarten through my senior year of high school. I always had positive experiences with this sport, but my high school team was extra special. To start, we had three of the best coaches: one a father, one a former player, and one that just loved the game of baseball. The players were also a tight-knit group where everyone truly cared about their teammates. The best way I can illustrate this is through a heart wrenching story. It was the second round of playoffs my senior year and we were playing the second best team in the conference. The game was a nail biter, but we were in the driver’s seat to complete the huge upset. We were up one run in the last inning of the game so all we had to do is get one more out. The opposing team had runners on second and third, who were very close to scoring. The next batter comes to the plate and we get two strikes on him. All we need is one more strike. Then it happened. The batter hit a bloop single, which is a term for a weakly hit ball that falls behind an infielder. Two runs scored. My team lost and we were only one strike away from advancing. We were heartbroken and extremely emotional because it was hard to believe our high school sport careers would end like this. We gathered on the field as we always did, but this time it was completely quiet. Then, our coaches told us that they viewed all their players as their own sons. This comment in such a difficult time showed me and the rest of the team
Stephen D. Keener, writer for the New York Times, says in his article Sports Teach Kids Valuable Lessons, “The lessons young players gain between the foul lines have guided some to become astronauts, emergency first responders, bestselling authors, military heroes, professional athletes and even president of the United States” (Keener). Keener talks about how playing on a sports team as a child can teach the kid very important characteristics, like: teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. Any kid who wants to get a job when they’re older is going to have to know how to work well with people, which is where learning the skill of teamwork is so huge. Considering Ripley’s point about sports lowering academics, Keener argues, “These lessons directly translate into the classroom and beyond” (Keener). These are some very important lessons I think that kids can benefit from
My family and I decided that we would go to Texas for our vacation that year. My dad did not tell me that he had purchased some Texas Ranger baseball tickets for us. When we arrived at our hotel the first words to come out of my dad’s mouth was “Get your baseball glove ready were going to the new baseball field to watch the Texas Rangers play the Detroit Lions.” As soon as I heard that, I was the most satisfied kid on the planet. I knew that this would be my first big league game and I would remember it forever.
My senior baseball season wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t for the kids I had around me. All of my closest friends were on the baseball team which makes it easy to see why it was my favorite season. Win or lose we were the most tight knit group of guys you could come across. Not only were we very close friends but
The very small percentage of athletes that can make a living off of a sport that they love to do, is a very special thing. The phenomenal athletes that can make that happen are role models for children, teens, and some adults. Sports enthusiasts will quote things from the best leaders, motivators and competitors to share with their children, students, colleagues, and fellow athletes. Being a three sport athlete has given me the full experience of being around those tremendous athletes. I thoroughly enjoy playing sports, I have since I was a little boy, and sports are a huge part of my family. At all family gatherings after we eat, have fun outside, we gather around the table or the television to either talk of sports or
Football has been a big part of my life ever since I was a little kid. I almost always tried to play football when I could with my brothers if they weren’t busy messing around. During recess in grade school my class would try to start a football game and I would be the first in to be picked on a team. My first time being on a “football team” was in little league my third grade year and I’ve never missed a year yet now that I am a senior in highschool and I’m hoping to continue it in college. Football made the person who I am today, it changed me in many ways and affected how I am as a person.
Throughout my life sports had always had a huge impact on me.I have been playing baseball since I was 5 years old. In high school I have played baseball all 4 of my years being at Watsonville High. Playing sports at school gives you the experience of making new friends and having fun playing the sport you love and representing your school. I have also noticed that playing a sport during school also gives you the stamina to keep your grades up because you want to be able to play the sport you love. Playing baseball in high school will help you improve because you practice almost everyday and you are constantly trying your hardest. I have contributed a lot to my team because I am always going to practice trying to get better. I also know that
I have played baseball since I was 3 years old. Since I have played the sport for so long I have had many ups and downs. Every young baseball players dream is to play varsity baseball when they get to high school. One of the best things that has ever happened to me was starting varsity my freshmen year of high school. Coming from a school that has 200 kids per-grade playing time in sports is very competitive. Working my way to get that starting position was a
Participating in a sport at an early age can be essential to the overall growth process during a child’s upbringing. Whether the participation is through some sort of organized league or just getting together amongst friends and playing, the lessons learned from this can help teach these kids and provide a positive message to them as they develop. There is a certain point, however, when organized sports can hinder progress, which is when adults get too involved and forget about the underlying reason to why they are helping. While adult involvement is necessary, adult involvement can sometimes send the wrong message to children when they try to make participation become more than just about fun and learning. According to Coakley (2009), “organized sports are worth the effort put forth by adults, as long as they do what is in the best interest of their children and put that thought ahead of their own agenda” (Coakley, p. 151). This is a valid argument because once adults put themselves in front of the children and their values, it needs to be re-evaluated as to why they first got involved in the beginning. Partaking in organized sport and activity from a young age can be beneficial to the overall development of children, as long as decisions actions are made in the best interest of the children and not stemming from ulterior motives of adults.
Participation in sports has proven to increase self-discipline and self-esteem, and can teach athletes to learn from their mistakes and move on (Issitt). Athletes playing team sports also develop the ability to work well with others and use teamwork in their everyday lives. Teammates form relationships that are strengthened over a common passion and goal. These relationships can last long after high school is over (Chen). These social skills translate into better communication used with an athlete’s family, peers, and in the community. Likewise, “A 2006 study in Maryland found that student athletes are 15 percent more likely than non athletes to be involved in their communities and to take the time for civic engagements, including participating in voting and volunteer activities” (Issitt). The same study also concluded that athletes are far more likely to be comfortable with public speaking than non-athletes. This study provides concrete evidence that high school sports can help to gain mental and social skills that will be used later in life
Playing football has given me the opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships that will last a lifetime. Those friendships are made in the hot summer workouts, when everyone is tired, hot, and thinking about giving up, teammates are right by their side motivating them. After a brutal beginning of the season players are scraped and bruised and during mid-season practices, some players may think that the team doesn’t have any chance at being in the playoffs. Teammates unite together and remind each other that if everyone works together, everything will fall into place. A good team involves also being in good physical shape. Players are banged up and have little annoying pains, but that doesn’t stop a good team so the conditioning doesn’t stop. Everyone has to do it, but being on a team that helps motivate each other, it helps the pain feel more tolerable. In any sport you will be thrown into rigorous situations and being with your teammates and sticking together through it all will not only make the team better, it also will help bring you closer to your
One diamond, four plates, nine players, a sweaty uniform, cleats, a bat, and a ball are the only things I’ve dreamt of since my first baseball practice when I was three years old. I remember the way it felt to smack the ball off of the tee and have everyone in the stands cheer and scream for me as I ran for first base as fast as I could and never wanting to leave the field even after it had gotten dark outside and all the field lights had been shut off. Baseball has been all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life from the very beginning. I can’t imagine doing anything other than eating, sleeping, and breathing the game of baseball. So when people ask me, “What are your plans after high school?” all I’ve ever known myself to say back was, “I’m not sure but it 'll have something to do with baseball.” With this being said, I have decided to be a baseball coach so I can pass down the knowledge I have for the game I love so much to people younger than me that love it just the same as I have and still do.
During my demonstration speech, I was affected by my speech anxiety. Some of the viewable symptoms were the shaking of my hands and also the stuttering of speech. I was able to control myself and relax after I started getting into my information. I did use some of the suggested relaxation techniques to relieve my anxiety. Before I got up to speak I thought confident of myself to help give me courage and confidence.
The sports of today have changed the way the players play the game. Starting on the professional sports level, bad sportsmanship behaviors, like the use of steroids or "throwing" a game or a match in an effort to please the sports gambler trying to get their big pay-off, has trickled down through the college level and even down to the high school level. One person recalls the days when athletes played their sport for the love of the game, because it is what they lived for. They remember when they were younger, sitting in their grandfather's lap and watching the Atlanta Braves (in the days of Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Glenn Hubbard and other great names in Braves history) running out on the diamond every game. In fact, they quoted country artist, Collin Raye, saying [I've been] "a Braves fan even through the rotten years". Watching these games, they remember looking up at their grandfather’s face and seeing the look he had in his eyes by watching these guys play their sport from the heart. Now, years later, sports have been threatened by strikes. The athletes playing now aren't playing because they love to, but now it's more about the money and how much they can make. Sports of today are tainted and don't come from the heart. The kids today need to be taught what it was like "in the good ole' days" and how playing sports teaches an individual about how to work with other people and how to pull together as a family.
The student outcomes for this course are to incorporate and learn different forms of material that will help the student deliver a structured speech. In order to deliver logical and organized speeches. As well as learning to speak with confidence and to understand how to control their own individual body movement when delivering a speech. A student also has to learn how to apply concepts such as language, organization, support, and delivery. In order to effetely deliver an informative, persuasive, entertaining, and commemorate speak. Lastly, a student has to learn how to analyze individual speaks and the understand perspectives from all members of the community. All these outcomes in the syllabus are meant to prepare us to become better public
Since i was three years old i’ve been performing in front of people from dance recitals to cheerleading at sporting events. All of these performances had three things in common; I was with a team, I rehearsed and knew what I needed to do, whenever I did routines I focused on the routine and not the people watching. Speaking in front of people sharing your thoughts and your own words is so much more different than presenting a science project in front of your class because it 's rehearsed and if not you still basically know what you 're going to say. Even though I want to be a radio host i 've never had a crowed of people hear me speak until last week.