What I Learned on the Field Still Applied Off the Field by Hunter

What I Learned on the Field Still Applied Off the Field by Hunter - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Before high school I was never really considered an academic achiever. My grades were average at most, and my study skills were pretty poor. Honestly, I was okay with that. Besides science and gym class, I really didn't care for school all that much. It wasn't until I entered high school that things began to totally change for me. By change I mean, I learned the most efficient way to study, I was put in honor classes by my sophomore year, I enjoyed going to school, and now I can proudly say I have a 3.3 grade point average and still striving to get it even higher. I certainly didn't accomplish this all on my own. My football coach, teammates and teachers did more than their part to get me where I am today.
I had played several sports growing up, but never football. My freshman year I decided to go out for the freshman football team. It was a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment but from the first game I became a starting player. From the first day of practice our football coach stressed something very important. He said to everyone of us, "Academics come first, football comes second." He explained that everyday after school each football player would attend study hall class with him for one hour. It was after that hour that football practice would begin. It was that hour that truly helped me get ahead in my studies. When I was struggling or didn't quite understand something my football coach was there to assist me or lead me to the appropriate teacher where I could get the help I needed. My football coach not only taught me to be a better athlete but a better student also. He shared some great study techniques with me that I still use today.
My teammates became my second family. We spent many hours on the field together, in the weight room, but also in our free time. Some of the players struggled more than others with academics. Outside of school we would have group study sessions before tests. My teammates and I had each others back on and off the field.
The teachers at our school really put all their effort into making sure the players would succeed. They would report to our football coach any grades that were falling behind. Sometimes our coach would check with the teachers to make sure not only were we doing well academically but also being good role models for our school.
In May 2017, I will be graduating from high school. It was an incredible four years that I thoroughly enjoyed. I played freshman, junior varsity, and varsity football starting every game. I am proud to say I was also one of the five Seniors out of twenty-two that were chosen to play in the All-Star football game. I have even received an offer to play football at a Division three college with a partial academic scholarship being awarded. That is something I never thought possible. I am truly grateful from all the help and support my teammates and school have given me. Almost everything I learned on the field I can apply to real life situations. If you work hard, set goals you can achieve almost anything, and never settle for average.