As a former athlete, I know about and even had to go through that struggle period of overtraining. ... I was in the best shape of my life, had been playing great, and everything seemed to be going fine. So going into my junior year, I started doubling up on my workouts and my training so that I could be stronger, faster, and more physical than any other point guard in my district. ... I had begun feeling sluggish and my legs would be heavy after practices and games. At the time I didn't know what was going on until I had a real severe cramp in my calf during a game and I had to be carried...

• Word Count: 547
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Without a normal ACL, the knee becomes unstable and can buckle, especially when the leg is planted and attempts are made to stop or turn quickly. ... My leg went numb with pain as I fell to the ground. ... Or when your foot goes to sleep and the feeling of needles prickling, tingling all over happens.  ...

• Word Count: 1156
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

"On your mark, get set, go!"" ... It was as if I was going to start running and wouldn't be able to stop; at times it even felt like I had wings. ... My legs started shaking, I felt like I was going to fall flat on my face. ... To me weightlifting required so much more than leg strength; it required you to be both physically and mentally strong. ... My grades dropped and I was not going to let that happen so I quit marching band. ...

• Word Count: 1639
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

I've heard stories of when my mother used to sit me at the water's edge, and I"d laugh and play as the surf washed up around my chubby legs. ... Even so, I enjoy going to the beach at night almost as much as I do during the day. ...

• Word Count: 531
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

My bones were so fragile that one morning when I woke up to go to school I got out of bed and immediately fell to the floor. My legs felt weak for about a full month. There was no way I was going to play baseball at the time when I could barely walk. ... That was one of the best feeling I've had in my life and I know it's not going to be the last. ... The side effects I had were rare and painful, but I thought of what it was going to do and pushed myself. ...

• Word Count: 828
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The emotions were high because we knew that if we were going to stand a chance against the number one team in the country, we were going to have to give this game everything that we had to offer. ... Weeks ago coach was just going to accept the loss and he didn't think it was worth using our best guy against a team that we didn't have a chance to beat, but after the first game that Bryce pitched we all knew that if he could pitch like that again then we could beat anybody. ... Seeing a sign like this made me feel as if we were about to play a collegiate team, but I knew at some po...

• Word Count: 710
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

My legs feel like cement from the muscle fibres being all swollen and such trying to recover; so sitting down in those awful plastic chairs all day feels really great. ... Being so tired and sore in the morning makes me unmotivated to even go to class, forget actually doing work. ... Another mental hardship I go through is the stress. ... With the amount of traveling required for tournaments there would be no way I could go to class on Fridays. ...

• Word Count: 837
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The affects of ethyl alcohol are relaxation, as problems seem to go away. ... While doing speeds at almost 90 mph Jason thought him and his brother were sharing a moment, but then his truck tumbled several times. (5) Jason's younger brother was ejected from the truck and suffered major injuries to his legs, torso, and head. ... Now Jason spends his life going around the country and talking to students and parents about teenage drunk driving. ...

• Word Count: 787
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

One student was bored in class so he decided to draw on his pant leg, then proceeded to wear the pants repeatedly through out the school year. ... This way they would see what close the students would consider wearing and go form there on what would work well for the school. ...

• Word Count: 720
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Being a three-sport letterman is hard work, but a worthy accomplishment. You have to keep your grades up, yourself respectable, and your attitude positive. I, myself, am a three-sport letterman. I play volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring. Volle...

• Word Count: 619
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In Timmy's first football game of his senior year, Timmy broke his leg and couldn't play another game for the rest of the season. ... Timmy had no way of going to college because his mother and grandmother could not afford it. ... Timmy wasn't too scared about getting drafted for war and he was willing to go when called. ... She explained to him what his mother was going through. ... After about 2 weeks, Timmy had completely lost his mind (Timmy is retarded), and he was forced to go to a mental hospital before he could go home. ...

• Word Count: 1045
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

" You"re going to miss the bus!" ... Somehow knowing my mother was going to be there part of the way made it a little bit easier for me to go. ... As the dismissal bell rang, I hurried off to find the right bus to go home. ... I decided to go and play some pool in the family game room and wait for her. ... She broke her right leg and fractured her knee cap. ...

• Word Count: 1217
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

In the past cheerleading was a club, used to pump up the crowd, by jumping up and down screaming "go team go," but times are changing! ... Perhaps if people saw the sweat and falls at practice, which go behind our awesome performances at games, rallies, and competitions they would understand the risks of this sport. ... If a girl lost her leg sliding into home plate, would we no longer use bases? ...

• Word Count: 981
• Approx Pages: 4

That's all 20 fingers and toes plus 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 elbows, 2 knees and 2 feet. ... I just knew that going to school, majoring in Drama was getting me nowhere. If I changed majors, I'd have another three years to go because almost every class I had taken was related to Drama. ...

• Word Count: 1216
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

An increase in potential earnings is the primary motivation for going to college for most, however there is another benefit of going to college. ... Alternatives to college are out there and more and more men are opting for that route as they graduate from high school, giving women the leg up in college admissions. ...

• Word Count: 977
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

I just knew I was going to get hurt, but I told myself I would not play in fear. ... The first pass of the game, I stole the ball going down to the opposite end of the court. ... Not only was my ankle swollen and was suffering from discoloration but it also looked like it was dangling from my leg; I had to have an air cast to support it from hanging. ... This disease teaches you to be patient with them because they really don't understand what is going on. ... Like I reinstated earlier, patience is the key to helping them understand what is going on. ...

• Word Count: 2069
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

McCourt paints a picture of a school that is unruly, unorganized, and led by teachers and administrators that are only going through the motions. ... They"d march you up and down the halls with sticks and if you didn't walk properly you"d get a stick across the backs of your legs so you would." ... Go through the motions. ... After exploring a closet in the back of his classroom, he discovers hundreds of uncorrected student compositions going back to 1942. ... In one instance, a female student goes to the front of the class to assist McCourt in taking attendance on his first day. ...

• Word Count: 1906
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

So-called integrated learning systems, which deliver entire curriculums to student's sittings at workstations in a learning laboratory, practically guarantee that grade point averages will go up. ... Many feel it will give their children a leg up or at least equal footing inclass. ... So-called integrated learning systems, which deliver entire curriculums to student's sittings at workstations in a learning laboratory, practically guarantee that grade point averages will go up. ...

• Word Count: 2078
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School