Soccer has been my favorite sport literally my whole life. On the field, I was mentally sharp, attentive, and aware-- nothing on my mind other than the game. It was my forte. Being on the field felt like home. If my ability to focus on soccer translated to my schooling, I would be Valedictorian.

From running plays on the field, and scoring against defenders, to listening to my coaches yell, the rush of adrenaline with each touch of the ball captivated me. I spent every moment daydreaming about playing, watching professionals play on YouTube, and constantly working to improve my skills. I made my high school team, and I was extremely excited to have soccer become a more constant part of my life. The sports aspect of high school brought much joy to my life.

Although I excelled in soccer, my academic performance was a different story as I realized my ability to concentrate on the field did not transfer to the classroom. Teachers would remind me how smart I was but my grades were going downhill, and it wasn't looking good. Year after year, I tried relentlessly to organize myself and find ways to improve my focus. It was frustrating as nothing I did seemed to help and at times it seemed I was only working to improve my grades for the sake of playing soccer. In the eleventh grade, I realized I needed to try something new. I debated with my parents and myself for a while, finally concluding that I needed to put soccer on hold. It was the hardest decision I've ever made. It felt like I was losing a part of myself. But I made a choice and committed to give everything I had to my schooling.

At first, things didn't get much better. I felt like there was something wrong with me. I was very discouraged, but I continued to try and try again. I was finally diagnosed with ADHD. I went to see a counselor to learn and find ways to support the mind I had. At first, I felt like my brain had a defect. I felt like there was something wrong with me, and there was nothing I could do about it. No wonder I couldn't focus or do well in school. I slowly learned to work through my focus issues, never giving up. My grades, although nowhere near a 4.0 GPA, began to improve ever so slightly. I stopped looking at my ADHD as a disorder and a disadvantage but rather an opportunity to learn how to be a better student and how to overcome these seemingly impossible challenges.

Despite seeing unmotivating results, I never gave up and continued to push myself to improve. This year, I decided to play soccer for my high school again. Finally, seeming like I found the key, my grades, with a lot of effort, have so far remained steady. I've learned that success doesn't always mean perfection. My consistent efforts taught me that my determination and my sedulousness is one of my strongest traits.

Throughout my various trials and tribulations, I learned that success does not come without failure. Improvement comes in small steps, and sometimes improvement comes in non-existent steps. But improvement is never giving up. Never letting yourself give in to failure despite seeing no results, having no motivation, and despite "impossible" challenges.