Growth and Change

Greetings, all! This week's top essay comes from Matt, who wrote a great piece on how dedication on the sports field and the responsibilities that come from being an older sibling have shaped him into the person he is today. If you've ever had to persevere through an athletic slump, or have found your home life suddenly very different with the addition of a younger brother or sister, you should definitely check out Matt's essay.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN MY LIFE

I believe two of my best qualities, perseverance and responsibility, have developed through two significant events in my life. I have learned to persevere through a decision I made myself to be involved in sports for most of my life. I have learned responsibility through my home life and more specifically because I am the oldest of three children in my family.

Being involved in sports most of my life has had a significant impact on my life. Sports, and the coaches involved in them, have taught me to never give up and if you keep trying, you will eventually get it right. Also, I have learned that if you work hard enough, it will pay off in the end. One example where this came true was when I was playing town baseball in the major league last year. I was in a bit of a hitting slump and was getting anxious to get on a role. My team had lost our first two games and in the third game we were down by one run in the bottom of the 7^th inning, which is extra innings in little league baseball. There was a man on first base when it was my turn at the plate. On the third pitch, I hit the ball deep into centerfield, over the fence, and it was gone. It was a walk-off homerun that won the first game of the season for our team! Everyone was so happy for me and I can’t remember ever feeling so good.

I have also learned from being involved in sports that there can be many highs and all too many lows which you must be able to accept and overcome. This was also true on the day I hit the walk-off homerun. Although I was on one of my biggest highs at the end of the game, earlier in that same game I had sat out the first three innings because I hadn’t been hitting too well so I was felling pretty low. Little did I know that later on in that game I was going to become a hero and win the game for the team. I am glad that I persevered and did not give up.

The birth of my brother and then my sister has also changed my life significantly in many different ways. I believe having a younger brother and sister has made me a much more responsible person than if I was not first born. I was only four years old when I became the oldest of three so I had to help my mother and father starting at a very young age. Since that time my parents have depended on me to help take care of my siblings. I knew at an early age that I could not be too needy or demanding because my brother and sister needed the attention more than I did. Today I babysit for my parents whenever they go out for dinner or have some errands to do. Being a big brother helped me become the responsible person that I am. Being first born and accepting responsibility is not all that bad. For example, I get to do many things before my brother and sister can such as mowing the lawn with the ride-on tractor, going to work with my dad, earning some money babysitting, and getting to go out with my friends. Being responsible has let me do a lot of fun things at a young age because my parents trust me.

Participating in sports and being the oldest in my family has changed me in many positive ways. All of my friends would be so much different than who they are now if these events did not happen. I would not be in the same circles so I would have totally different friends. I feel I have made so many great friends who share the same interests as me. Perseverance and responsibility that I have learned through these events have also helped me to do well in school which is also very important to me. Being the oldest has led to me being in charge a lot more than if I was second or third born in my family which I also like. I am very happy with who I am today and I would not want to change even if I had a choice. These two significant events in my life have had very positive effects on me.