USC Supplements. From skinny boy to Badminton Varsity Team

USC students are known to be involved. Briefly describe a non-academic pursuit (such as service to community or family, a club or sport, or work, etc.,) that best illustrates who you are, and why it is important to you. (250 word limit)

I was always viewed as physically weak and incapable of the strenuous activities required for the Badminton team because I was underweight. However, it did not stopped me from joining the team. Rather, it motivated me to worker hard to become a successful player. For the first time, I started conditioning myself by running, weight training, and practicing Badminton. I would come home with sore arms, and cramped legs, but I knew I was closer to my goal: making into the team and proving everybody wrong. On the cut off day, I made it into the team, and yet I was not satisfied because I wanted to be the best. Thus, I increased my rigorous training schedule, practicing whenever I had spare time. Surpassing both my peers' expectations, I was selected to play on the varsity team and remain on the varsity roster for three years.

Joining the Badminton team has impacted me both physically and mentally. Although I am still underweight, the labor-intensive conditioning and the rigorous practices have made me more fit than ever. In addition, I learn that persistence does pay off. No one expected me to make the cut off, and thus none of the veterans or coaches helped me. Instead I self-taught, and self-train the basics of Badminton via Internet and books. Through the lesson I learned from Badminton, I applied them it to my academic life and other extracurricular activities

Should I add more on what I learn such as better time management skills? I feel if I do add it, it will be out of place in the second paragraph? Please tell me what to add or delete. Thank you!

The essay prompt is requesting that you discuss the character traits and other aspects of your personality that have been enhanced by your participation in particular extra curricular activities. In your case, the essay should concentrate not only on the physical development of your personality, but also the other aspects of a badminton player that the activity helped developed. If you feel that it helped you develop your management skills, sense of team work and cooperation (when playing doubles), and the like, then go ahead and discuss those as well. Just make sure to make connections between the physical, mental, and social aspects that developed for you as a participant. You need to show that this particular activity helped you become an active and involved member of the community. If you had to do some charity work, volunteer activities, etc. as a member of the team, highlight those activities as well.

Thanks, I was the treasurer for the team. I can't fine a way to tie in to the paragraph. Please help me!

You first have to consider if you enjoyed being the treasurer of the Badminton club. If you did, then surely there are activities that you did as the treasurer that left an impression on you and helped you discover a different side to your personality or sense of responsibility. Why not discuss it along those lines? Explain how your responsibility as the treasurer helped you discover who you are and hence, you learned that being financially responsible is important to you. Maybe there was a tournament that you had to raise funds for in order to participate, or you had to balance the finances in order to purchase some important equipment for the team? Those are some situations that can actually play into the expectations of the prompt. You need to show how being a treasurer made you highly involved in the club activities and that you learned many life lessons in the performance of your duties.