Personal Narrative: My High School Experience

Essay So far, my high school experience has been one of many choices being made. Throughout these past three years I have had to make many choices, many of which have impacted my relationship with my friends, teachers, and coaches. However, no decision was harder than one I made this year in this past soccer season.
This decision was not exclusively my own but one I shared with my father. This dilemma involved pulling me, the captain of the varsity soccer team off the team because of a problem between the coach and me. My father came to this decision because the coach was using me, whom he had made a captain and a focal point of team, as a scapegoat for the team's losses and hardships. This was a very tough, and complicated situation in which myself. This decision to leave the team, a group of my friends, was probably the most difficult one for me to make; however, I feel it was a good one. Despite the fact this decision was not exclusively mine, I still feel that my father looked out for my best interest and I am grateful for that.
Though this decision was difficult, it did open many other doors for me.
I refused to dwell on the fact that all I had worked hard for had been taken away from me in one fell swoop. Instead, I tried to show resiliency and bounce back by joining clubs and making the honor roll. Even though I had achieved success on the soccer field as a player, it was not a healthy situation in which to keep myself in. Although I am a person who has always been able to take criticism, my coach's behavior and words had degenerated to a level where it was affects my own self - respect and dignity. Both my dad and I agreed that we could not allow this to
happen.
After I left the team, I contemplated whether or not my father and I had made the right choice or whether I should have abide by my dad's decision or go against it. It came down to a talk with the Athletic Director that further persuaded me to stay off the team at least for the remainder of the season. The Athletic Director said to my father and me that this basically was the only way to avoid the humiliation and embarrassment inflicted by my coach.
Despite the fact that I am not playing high school soccer, I still keep the game I love a big part of my life. I play for three premier teams throughout the state. I even play for the MASS State Team, which consists of 20 players chosen of a pool of about 100. I get just as much or even more college exposure, so my dream of being a college athlete is by no means diminished. I also learned through this past season that not everything is going to work out the way we would like it to and that, to achieve my goals, I must be willing work for them. Also accomplishments such as making the honor roll and getting involved through my school community have made me realize there is more to life than just soccer. This decision has made it clear to me that life is about decisions and once a person makes a decision, he must find away to accept the consequences and make himself better from it. Although my situation was difficult, I feel as if I handled with as much grace and class as I could and I am proud of that and grateful for the support of my family, friends and my teachers at Malden Catholic.