Discuss a leadership experience you have had in any area of your life - school, work, athletics, family, church, community, etc. How and why did you become leader in this area? How did this experience influence your goals?
(7800 characters maximum length)
I need some help here.I'm not sure was I talking too much, or too little in this essay. I really drew a blank on deciding where to elaborate .
People have often said that change is good, but change can come in countless forms. During my junior year of high school, I decided to take a chance with things and change a few things about myself and lifestyle. I still remained a diligent student, but I contemplated that maybe I should try some sort of new sport or weekend activity rather than the usual movies, playing video games, and hanging out with friends. Prior to that winter of my junior year, I played soccer for my high school. A few of my teammates were discussing their after-season plans. One teammate in particular suggested I try futsal, which is a form of soccer played indoors with five players on each side. At first, I was slightly skeptical the idea of playing soccer indoors seemed by far preposterous and silly. I was never the type of guy to simply try something based on opinions and impulse; so, I decided to do a Google search. To my surprise, there were several futsal organizations located through my state and the country. I even was able to view several videos of actual futsal matches, the idea intrigued me. I then decided to sign myself up with the same futsal organization my teammates mentioned.
Weeks later after signing up for futsal, I received an e-mail which listed the different teams and captains. I found my name along with four other teammates which I had never met, but then I noticed an odd symbol next to my name. I looked at the key at the bottom of the file, and surprisingly, I was nominated to be a captain. Initially, I was hesitant about the new position. I considered just simply giving the position away to another person. Before my junior year, I typically would follow the path of a follower rather than a leader choosing to just go with the flow of things or lay in the background without drawing much attention to myself. Yet, I thought this new position might prove be the type of change I was looking for.
The first day of futsal, all of the teams met for the first and the rules of futsal were explained. I met my teammates unaware of who was who or what their skill levels were. We introduced each other, but I knew since it would be most of the team's first time playing with each other there would be a lack of chemistry on the court. I decided for the first game, it would be best to try to let the team naturally fine-tune to each other's playing style. It worked well enough for the first game, but after the following games I could see there was room for improvement. With the new role as captain, I decided to take the initiative to bring the team together so we could become one cohesive unit. We all spoke casually about our past soccer experiences, high school experiences, and just daily life. These conversations would be the stepping stones to our success in the future.
Now, the part which counted the most was our playing quality on the field. In order to maintain team unity, I always made sure that team members spoke if they had any ideas or questions about plays, positions, and so forth. After the third game, another player who registered late was placed on our team at the last minute. While this wasn't completely devastating, the team's chemistry was thrown off. However, I took this opportunity to show our team that sometimes you can't control what's happening around you. Therefore, you just have to make the best of situations. The new player's skill level wasn't as advanced as rest of the team, but instead of letting him fall to the background. I worked with improving and explaining certain skill sets after the game. After several practices, the new player was as advanced and slightly even better than some of our other teammates. Our season continued with several challenging games, which led to our championship victory.
Through the experience, I learned the importance of respect and communication when leading others. Communication is the key which unlocks any ideas that might be waiting. I began with the objective of simply winning the indoor tournament, but came out with the objectives of being a good leader of a successful team and winning the indoor tournament. While I might have been a follower prior to this experience, this experience led me to notice some my own leadership skills. Now, when opportunities are given, I am glad to take the leadership role. My leadership experiences will allow me to further develop my own skills and carry out these abilities through the rest of my future career and soccer teams.
(7800 characters maximum length)
I need some help here.I'm not sure was I talking too much, or too little in this essay. I really drew a blank on deciding where to elaborate .
People have often said that change is good, but change can come in countless forms. During my junior year of high school, I decided to take a chance with things and change a few things about myself and lifestyle. I still remained a diligent student, but I contemplated that maybe I should try some sort of new sport or weekend activity rather than the usual movies, playing video games, and hanging out with friends. Prior to that winter of my junior year, I played soccer for my high school. A few of my teammates were discussing their after-season plans. One teammate in particular suggested I try futsal, which is a form of soccer played indoors with five players on each side. At first, I was slightly skeptical the idea of playing soccer indoors seemed by far preposterous and silly. I was never the type of guy to simply try something based on opinions and impulse; so, I decided to do a Google search. To my surprise, there were several futsal organizations located through my state and the country. I even was able to view several videos of actual futsal matches, the idea intrigued me. I then decided to sign myself up with the same futsal organization my teammates mentioned.
Weeks later after signing up for futsal, I received an e-mail which listed the different teams and captains. I found my name along with four other teammates which I had never met, but then I noticed an odd symbol next to my name. I looked at the key at the bottom of the file, and surprisingly, I was nominated to be a captain. Initially, I was hesitant about the new position. I considered just simply giving the position away to another person. Before my junior year, I typically would follow the path of a follower rather than a leader choosing to just go with the flow of things or lay in the background without drawing much attention to myself. Yet, I thought this new position might prove be the type of change I was looking for.
The first day of futsal, all of the teams met for the first and the rules of futsal were explained. I met my teammates unaware of who was who or what their skill levels were. We introduced each other, but I knew since it would be most of the team's first time playing with each other there would be a lack of chemistry on the court. I decided for the first game, it would be best to try to let the team naturally fine-tune to each other's playing style. It worked well enough for the first game, but after the following games I could see there was room for improvement. With the new role as captain, I decided to take the initiative to bring the team together so we could become one cohesive unit. We all spoke casually about our past soccer experiences, high school experiences, and just daily life. These conversations would be the stepping stones to our success in the future.
Now, the part which counted the most was our playing quality on the field. In order to maintain team unity, I always made sure that team members spoke if they had any ideas or questions about plays, positions, and so forth. After the third game, another player who registered late was placed on our team at the last minute. While this wasn't completely devastating, the team's chemistry was thrown off. However, I took this opportunity to show our team that sometimes you can't control what's happening around you. Therefore, you just have to make the best of situations. The new player's skill level wasn't as advanced as rest of the team, but instead of letting him fall to the background. I worked with improving and explaining certain skill sets after the game. After several practices, the new player was as advanced and slightly even better than some of our other teammates. Our season continued with several challenging games, which led to our championship victory.
Through the experience, I learned the importance of respect and communication when leading others. Communication is the key which unlocks any ideas that might be waiting. I began with the objective of simply winning the indoor tournament, but came out with the objectives of being a good leader of a successful team and winning the indoor tournament. While I might have been a follower prior to this experience, this experience led me to notice some my own leadership skills. Now, when opportunities are given, I am glad to take the leadership role. My leadership experiences will allow me to further develop my own skills and carry out these abilities through the rest of my future career and soccer teams.