Jocelyn Barajas Barajas 1

November 13, 2018

Personal Statement

As I enter the field I feel the butterflies in my stomach caused by the nervousness. It was

my first day of practice. The coach told us to play a scrimmage game against each other. I was

the last one to be picked for a team. As we began to scrimmage, I felt my legs begin to tremble.

My teammate passed me the ball. As I tried to dribble, the opponent took possession of the ball.

A few girls from my team yelled at me with anger. I tried making up for the mistake I had made.

I only made it worse. The ball was coming towards me, I felt my body instantly freeze. My

brains immediate reaction was to grab the ball with my hands. I realized the huge mistake I had

made. I grabbed the ball with my hands which was not allowed. I felt the blood rushing down

my cheeks. I run to my dad in tears. My very first day of practice was the worst. My dad told me,

“Encountering failure is inevitable, but what makes you better is how you react to it.” I

remember his words of encouragement ever since that day. Soccer is a great part of who I am.

Although I always had the passion for soccer, learning was not easy. When I joined my very

first team, I felt discouraged because I was not at the level the other girls were at. I failed to see

that the process of learning requires mistakes. Failing to believe in myself was a major challenge

I faced. Everyday I began to imagine myself on the field taking on the opponents and scoring.
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With practice, passion, and perseverance, I not only imagine myself taking on opponents and

scoring goals; I do it.

My soccer journey has been filled with many up challenges. I reached a point throughout my

soccer journey in which I realized that I entered a comfort zone. As they say,“Great things never

come out of a comfort zone.” I decided to try out for a club soccer team which is much more

competitive and challenging. Club soccer was a challenge because it pushed me physically. It

improved my physical abilities, such as quick passing and speed. My mental toughness was also

challenged. I worked on believing in myself no matter the situation. It took time to adapt to

playing at a higher level. At first, I only received a few minutes of playing time but I never gave

up. The challenges I have surpassed led me to be the player I am today. For example, with effort,

I became starter for my club soccer team. Also, being part of my high school’s soccer team, I

helped my high school win California Interscholastic Federation Championship (CIF) for

division 3. I received awards such as “Best Offensive Midfielder” ,“Best Defender”, and “Most

Improved Offensive Player” throughout the past 3 years in highschool.

Soccer has helped grow as an individual. Honesty, integrity, and pride are three main

components that soccer has taught me. Passion is another quality which soccer has employed in

me. Passion means playing not only with your feet but with your heart as well. The last quality

which I developed was determination. Determination means having perseverance and courage to

accomplish your goals. Determination is what lead me to succeed and achieve even what might

seem impossible.
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I have had a passion for soccer since the first time I ever kicked a ball. Although soccer was

not a talent I was born with, my passion and perseverance helped me grow as a player. I grew as

an individual as well. It taught me skills such as perseverance, integrity, honesty , and pride.

Without soccer I would not be the person I am today.