Essay 1: Turning Points

I was never very successful at sports. As a child, I was surrounded by kids who were naturally athletic, and even though I always received excellent grades in school, I felt like a failure because I couldn’t play basketball or hockey as well as everyone else. But I was persistent. I tried out for every sports team my school had, even though I couldn’t play very well. And, despite being the worst player by far, I was always picked for the team. The fact that my PE teacher believed in me was so important and always stuck with me, and it gave me the confidence to keep trying, despite my own hesitations.