Undergraduate / Did my own coach had just invited me to cheat? ; Caltech / Ethical Dilemma [14]

1. is this essay ready to go. if not how can i improve if further. if yes, how can it make it better.
2. is this essay too informal for a top university like Caltech.
3. please point out any grammatical errors, and any constructive suggestions on how to make the overall essay more flowery would be appreciated.
4. one last question. please suggest any ways possible on how to make this essay more concise. problem is that the character limit is only 1300, and i have already reached 1500 characters.

thanks in advance for the help.

I have been an avid tennis player since a very early age, and my passion for tennis has grown ever since. One of the memories associated with tennis that I reminisce the most is as follows:

Only in the third tennis tournament of my tennis career, I qualified almost all the rounds and reached the semi-finals of it. Unfortunately, I got to know from my peers that my next round was with a very experienced player, who had won numerous tournaments. As I approached the court, and met my adversary, I knew there was no way that guy was under 10, or perhaps under 12 even and I knew I was not going to play against him. After a heated discussion between the authorities and my parents, we found out that he was actually 13 years of age. As expected I lost to him. And the worst part was at the award ceremony, my coach called me and said, 'don't worry you can do that too. And we'll help you with it'. I was struck back. Those words are very much fresh in my memory today. Did my own coach had just invited me to cheat? Yeah, that was what had happened. At many times in my career I even thought of being a part of it, but somewhere deep within me a voice always roared, 'You will not be playing against kids, to be declared as winner. I forbid it.' And I am proud to say that till date I have not indulged myself in any such activity, be that in the domain of sports or anywhere else. As a matter of fact I did beat that kid, however 4 years of continual hard work in an U-16 tournament, and that match was the most memorable ever.

Undergraduate / My Dad always says "Hope for the best, but plan for the worst"; princeton supplement essay [3]

as my first language is not English , i will need a lot of help to improve the essay.
1. is the essay too childish, because i think it is and it needs a lot of improvement. please help me do so.
2. any suggestions regarding the correction of misused grammar would be appreciated.
3. please also suggest how to improve the overall essay, like using high level of English, phrases, so on and so forth.
thanks in advance for the help. it means a lot to me.

Person who has influenced me in my Life:

When I think about the person who influenced my life the most, the first person that comes to my mind is - my Dad.

My Dad is a tall, cool, independent, hardworking and a very practical man; ready to accept change and alter state of mind according to any situation. He loves me a lot as every father and always remains strong by not showing his emotions.

He is full of fun, light hearted and always looking at the positive things in
life. He is not only a father to guide between the good and bad but also a good friend, a companion and above all my inspiration. I love to play a good game of Billiards with him whenever we go to the Club.

Whenever he leaves for his job, he says - "Do not go after marks, excel in whatever you are doing and the result will always be the best. Work hard and when I come back we will have fun." This has had a great impact on me. So when he is away - these words keep me going - all through the days; and I along with my family wait for his return.

Family is the first priority to him and he pleasures every moment with us. He is full of fun and jokes when he is around. I have lots of friends but I am much happier and relaxed when he is around. Whenever I speak to him on the phone I get mental strength and motivation. He always guides me through any situation, as he is a strong man-mentally and physically. He believes in practicing yoga and so do I, as I practice moments of solitude before the pressures of the day begin.

My Dad always says - "Hope for the best, but plan for the worst". This way one will not be afraid of anything, because your mind is already prepared for the worst, and you know how to handle the situation. He prepares me mentally to face any situation and also helps me maintain my body physique.

He works hard to manage people from different countries and sail high seas. Although it is a difficult job, I have seen him manage things in a relaxed way and to heights of perfection. He never seems tired and is always finished with his work before time. He is my source of inspiration, motivation. Everything I have been able to accomplish with regards to school, I have him to thank for. I think he is an asset to society, and I hope to be that too in time.

These values and examples have helped me a lot in my life, and they will surely do the same for the rest of it. Through him I have learned that progress in a man's life should never stop no matter at what position he is. Like a small minute seed grows into a large tree, it doesn't matter where you start from, but what matters the most is where you stand now with respect to where you started.