Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
The Fine Line Between Failure and Success
6-2, 3-6, 8-10.
Playing and watching sports has always been my passion. Tennis was my first love growing up in Turkey, watching players such as Sampras and Agassi. Tennis was also my father's and grandfather's sport and naturally I picked up the game as well. From a young age I can recall watching matches with them on TV and going to play with them. I got my first racket at age 7. After moving back to the United States I began to play more seriously and fell further in love with the game. Throughout my school years I played in tournaments after school and on the weekend. I hoped I would qualify for the Sidwell tennis team in high school. I was delighted when I was selected for the Sidwell Varsity team as a freshman.
At the start of the school tennis season, the "ladder", or ranking, of the players is determined through challenge matches. Last year I played against one of my closest friends for the last singles spot on the team. We practiced together for years, hitting with each other in the scorching summers and the sub-zero temperatures of winter. Both of us coveted that last spot; after two years of playing doubles I felt like it was my time to finally play singles. I was confident that I would walk away with the victory as I had been beating him recently.
The match was a long back and forth affair, a result of knowing each other's style so well. I won the first set 6-2. Confident in my win, I lost focus in the second set, and he was able to bounce back. . A tiebreaker was played in lieu of the third set. Like the rest of the match, it was close throughout. At 9-8, he was serving to win the match. As the point played out, he came up to net and I hit a passing shot. The ball fell just outside of the lines. 6-2, 3-6, 8-10.
I was shocked, devastated and angry at myself. I could not believe that I had lost the match. I had missed a shot that I routinely make by such a small margin.
Once I got over my initial frustration at losing, I realized what those couple of inches meant. I understood that there was a fine line between success and failure, and putting in that little bit of extra effort can make the difference between winning and losing. If I had been a half second faster I would have been able to return the ball. To use an old cliché, I realized I always have to give 100% no matter the task. This lesson has served me well outside the court as well. I have always been confident about my abilities in math and science courses, understanding the lessons immediately and completing homework easily. However, I found that in tests and exams, my grades occasionally did not reflect the knowledge of the subject that I knew I had. Several weeks after my tennis match, I had tests in both math and chemistry. Although I was confident I knew the material well, I put in the extra effort to study a little harder. My effort was rewarded when I received the best grades in these two subjects. The importance of perseverance and tenacity has not been an easy lesson for me and I find myself falling short sometimes. For the future, I know that putting in my maximum will always pay dividends.
Even though I lost the singles match in tennis I continued on the team as the top doubles player. From my team's perspective my contribution still mattered hugely as a doubles victory does count as much as a singles victory. I decided that I would give it my best for the team and I practiced diligently on my serve and forehand. Together with my partner, we achieved a perfect season, culminating in winning our conference championship and making a huge contribution to the school's record. I learnt the line between success and failure is very small and in the end what may appear to be a failure can be turned into success with hard work , team spirit and the right attitude. This year, I will finally be able to move up the ladder and achieve my dream to play singles for Sidwell Friends.
Playing and watching sports has always been my passion. Tennis was my first love as I was growing up in Turkey, watching players such as Sampras and Agassi.
I think that first sentence, above, needs to be scratched, because it is so plain.
I was delighted when I was selected for the Sidwell Varsity team as a freshman. When you end the first paragraph this way, the reader thinks, "okay, so this is a tennis lover who played varsity." It seems like you spent too much time saying that simple thing. Can you reduce this paragraph to a single sentence that expresses the same idea? Let it be a complex sentence that mentions Turkey, and Agassi, and varsity.
I learnt the line between success and failure is very small and in the end what may appear to be a failure can be turned into success with hard work , team spirit and the right attitude.------Nice! Now.. does this have anything to do with your intended career? If you can say this influenced your outlook on life and your career aspirations, that would be a strong ending.
