I remember setting up for rallies in the morning with ASB, watching the hip hop team practice run their routines, and I wanted to be practicing with them so badly. ... By this day, my peers had already found out that I was trying out, and I appreciated their words of encouragement as I patiently waited for go time. ... It seemed as if hours were going by. Some people were able to go home, and come back. ... I made it to the list to see some jumping for joy, and some balling their eyes out, but I tuned them out as I scrolled my finger down the list and saw my number on the 2011-2012 team. ...

• Word Count: 1502
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

It was the first day of the state track meet and as all of the teams were setting up their team camps of all types and sizes. The coaches walking their laps around the track to check the track for things out of place and to discuss their plans for the day. ... Next the 2A boys shot put was starting so I went to watch and cheer on a team-mate. ... Then I took one deep breath and started on my approach counting my steps one, two, three, four ..ten, then I planted my left foot with great force and jumped into the air arcing my back and closing my eyes as I go over the bar then kicking my feet...

• Word Count: 1352
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Before the birds awoke from their nest to chirp, before the morning dew had a chance to settle, even before the stars lay to rest, we were there. ... All eyes looked straight ahead, all mouths were held tightly closed, and one would even attempt to breathe as quietly as possible. ... Everyone new what he was going to say, but no one anticipated it. ... A soldier always watched the back door, waiting for this moment. ... Soldier fell out in a mad dash to their families, some with tears in their eyes, some with their hearts in their throats, but most, with their heads held high. ...

• Word Count: 1353
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

The whole table diverted their focus to the girl. ... He raised his eyes at me and replied, " Was it your brother again?" ... I sometimes even watch it 2, 3 times a day. ... Most men like to both play and watch. ... I eat all of it and go down the stairs to watch a football pregame show. ...

• Word Count: 2131
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

This confounded me, as I couldn't fathom why he wouldn't want me to go have fun. ... I have watched my dad pray on multiple occasions, but this wasn't what I had been expecting. ... When my friends would go to a sleepover, I had to come home early because there were going to be boys. ... School itself was another dilemma as academics were the priority, not sociality. ... Parent's care for their children all of their lives and to say something of such discontent "something so disrespectful" is just inappropriate to me. ...

• Word Count: 1392
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

What a wonderful feeling to know that no matter where I play or what time, my family is making an effort to watch me, cheer me on, and no matter how I play, tell me that I did awesome. ... I will never forget the memory of going to a different beach every day and enjoying the amazing time with my family. ... Str. 4) Eyes tearing up, finger pointing, those are the wise words that come from my mother every time that an occurrence does not follow "the plan" like I think it should in my life or when things happen that were not supposed to in my eyes. ... There are only two explanations f...

• Word Count: 1420
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

In the year 2012 the brains of 35 former NFL players were donated to the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. 34 of the 35 brains were found to have CTE. ... Fans become less interested and less likely to purchase $500 tickets to watch football games in billion dollar stadiums. ... In the year 2009 the first lawsuits against the league were filed. Players had risked their bodies and in many cases their mental capacity to a league that had turned a blind eye to the health of their brains and bodies after their term had been served. ... Before the emergence of the...

• Word Count: 1293
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

This decision had a really heavy impact on the parents that were going to adopt me. When the couple that were going to adopt me heard of this they were shocked and very emotional. ... My friend Jacob decided to pop in a movie to watch on the way to the march for life to occupy the time. ... On a personal note, I was horrified to hear that sometimes women abort their child because it has a disability. ... As I marched in the cold snow of D.C., amid the prayers and cheers from other pro-lifers, I felt tears come to my eyes. ...

• Word Count: 1818
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

However, if that were true, we wouldn't be called the marching band. ... After every halftime and marching competition performance, we would watch a video recording. ... There's a statistic saying that almost sixty percent of all band directors were drum majors at some point in their life. ... All of the tears and red eyes I saw before practice were gone after we made this devastating day into something more positive. Throughout the practice I felt something wet and salty drip onto my lip, but as a leader I needed to be strong and help motivate everyone to do their best, even though ...

• Word Count: 1804
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

On average a student athlete's day is composed of going to school, working out in the weight room, going to film session, and of course practice; this leave about 4-6 hours to do homework and eat . ... This is where all the student-athletes go and eat. ... Universities depend on their athletes to produce and maintain the popularity of their school's name. ... To go along with every law is usually something that always contradicts itself. ... For the last couple of years I have watched a plethora of athletes be taken down for what the public eye see as being fraud and theft. ...

• Word Count: 2386
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School