Soccer and Medicine Go Hand In Hand by Amanda

Soccer and Medicine Go Hand In Hand by Amanda - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

During my junior year of high school I was given the assignment in my health science 2 class that I would have to complete a Capstone Project before graduation in order to graduate with recognition from the Medical and Fire Academy. A Capstone Project is a medical based activity that you get your community involved in. As a dedicated soccer player I noticed that there weren’t many young players in my community so I wanted to do something to get them involved.
The first semester of my junior year I planned out what I was going to do and how I was going to do. I would teach younger players the in and outs of soccer while simultaneously teaching them basic medical skills. The medical skills that these players would be learning are skills that any athlete would need such as learning how to wrap up an ankle or what to do for a muscle cramp. The kids loved it and grasped the concept of soccer and the medical skills incredibly quickly.
Once I noticed how much the younger kids loved learning medical skills I reached out to a different population, the elderly. This time leaving soccer out of it but they loved it just as much. The skills they learned involved CPR, first aid, and what to do in the case of poisoning.
Not only was I able to incorporate my love for soccer and medicine into a singular project but I was able to make a difference on my community. Teaching these eager people basic but life saving skills has opened them up to a whole new world. If needs be they could save a life or at leas provide necessary care for someone until EMS professionals arrived.
Without being involved in both soccer and the medical program at Bartow Senior High I would not have been able to have a positive effect on my community. I was able to teach others what to do in case of an emergency and how to save lives. Wow.