Common App – Term Paper

Common app sample essay 

All throughout my life I loved the game of soccer. I loved the smell of the outdoors at dawn. Even the unforgettable consistent butterflies in my stomach until the first whistle blew. From the rainy to scorching hot games I honestly loved it all. What made me realize how much love I had for the game was finally putting up my cleats for the last time.

Entering as a freshman at Cathedral High School I planned on trying out for the soccer team not because I was good, but because it was all I had loved to do since age 3. Unfortunately, I didn’t make the team like I had hoped to do. that minor setback forced me to work hard for the next upcoming season. The next season arrived and I tried out as a sophomore. This time I really believed I earned a spot but, once again I didn’t make the team. After being disappointed for the second time, I realized Cathedral High School’s soccer team is more political than any other high school I know. Once I figured that out I understood why so many people here that I played with before stopped playing. At that moment I wanted to transfer because I knew I had a guaranteed; a spot on another high school team. After debating with my parents if I wanted to leave, I made a decision to stay for a better high school education even though I wouldn’t be playing high school soccer.

Common app essay example

Not playing soccer for my high school career has had a huge impact on my life now that I look back at that time of failure. My sophomore year my official last year playing soccer all together, even for my club team. Once I had given up playing I really didn’t know what I wanted to do to still be involved with soccer. At this time, I felt like this was negatively impacting my life. From that point forward, I decided to contact my old club soccer coach and be an assistant coach as a volunteer. Helping out as a volunteer has made me love soccer even more because I get to help kids younger than me who have the same goals I did when I was their age. Fall of 2013 was my first time volunteering and this spring of 2014 I’ll be volunteering once again. 

The total experience has helped me grow up and mature because this was the first time I really failed at something I devoted my life to. It taught me that even though I might deserve something, I can’t always get what I want in life. This is a life lesson that I think I’ll carry with me forever.