I believe that a person’s work ethic is one of the most important qualities for them to possess. In my eyes, how hard a person works toward a goal that they’ve set for themselves tells me all I need to know about them.
I’ve been an athlete since I was five years old, and for the past 16 years of my life, it has been the center of my attention. From an early age sports taught me how to work hard by showing me the rewards of hard work as well as showing me the consequences of not working hard. I’m from Columbus, Ohio which is a big sports town, specifically for football because of Ohio State. As a kid, I looked up to college football players because in my mind they were the coolest people ever. They got to play football in front of thousands of people, be the most popular guys in town, and go to the NFL.
From an early age my coaches always stressed to my teammates and I how important it was to work as hard as possible at all times. I was also getting fed this message at home from my mother who raised my by herself. Even when I wasn’t at practice I was always being fed the same narrative that hard work is the backbone of any successful person. I was always taught that life was not going to be easy, and everything that you get in life is earned and not given. I was able to apply these lessons onto the football field at an early age. My coaches expected a standard from their players, and we all had to work to meet it.
Later on in life as things got more serious, I was able to lean back on the lessons I learned as a kid. My dream as a kid was to always play college football, because without a scholarship i knew there was no way I would ever go to college. In high school my team didn’t win very many games, my senior year we went 0-10, which could have put a stop to my recruitment by college coaches. I worked tirelessly both on and off the field to put myself in the most optimal position to achieve my goal of playing college football. My work ethic gave me the confidence and reassurance I needed to put my best foot forward and perform to the best of my abilities. Because of ,y work ethic, I ended up accepting a scholarship to Penn State. Once I got here, I realized there was a new standard placed upon me as a student and an athlete, because I can rely on my work ethic, I have become a better student as well as a football player. When all else fails I know for a fact that if i work at something as hard as I can, I will become a better version of myself.