Senior 27

In my junior year of high school, I got the opportunity to show my leadership skills in my school soccer team. I played Turner soccer since I was in 8th grade, and in my junior year, I decided to try out for the captain position. Due to my playing since 8th grade, my coaches knew me well, and they chose me to be a captain because they thought I would make a good leader. I wanted to be a captain because I believed I could guide my teammates through the season and positively impact them

As a captain, I had to set a good example for my teammates attitude-wise, and I had to be a good representative for my school making sure to act respectfully and responsibly. Other responsibilities as team captain included: communicating and leading my teammates in practices and games, settling disagreements between teammates, and bringing up concerns or concerns my teammates had to our coaches. I ensured that everyone’s thoughts and concerns were addressed and validated. Another responsibility was leading practices and coming up with a game plan. For practices, I led the girls in stretches, walked them through drills, and helped them better their techniques. In games, I talked to them before the game about what our plan was and led them in stretches and warmups. During the game, I would communicate with everybody about where they needed to be and what they needed to be doing while we were on the field. Throughout each practice and game, I would listen to everyone’s concerns and encourage them to be the best they could be.

I also took other measures out of captain responsibilities so that the girls would be healthy throughout the season. I would take time before games and practices to go through exercises my teammates needed to help with their injuries and prevent them. Another issue that jeopardized their health was some teammates would not want to see the athletic trainer because they did not want to lose playing time or thought they did not need to. So, I made sure they went because if their injury was left untreated, they could get seriously injured. I helped them put their health first because sometimes it was hard for them to know when to get help. Another thing I would do was help my teammates get their grades up because without passing grades you were not able to play. Despite our losses, I helped to make sure my teammates had a fun season and enjoyed the experience of being a part of a team. Overall, I am glad I got the chance to be a leader and impact a group of girls.

This leadership experience taught me how to lead and work well with others. Not only did I learn how to be a good leader, but I also learned to be more confident with presenting ideas to others and making time for all the responsibilities that come with leadership. I know that in university, I will be able to manage all my new responsibilities and work well with my peers and professors. I will be able to apply what I learned into my classes, clubs, and ultimately, real-life situations.