Personal Narrative

Nigel Grant

Freshman Composition

Ms. Noone

September 15, 2014

A Dream Can Become a Reality

            “Dad, I will play division one soccer,” I declared. On the surface I was confident and secure, but in my mind, I was scared and unsure of my future. I had just begun high school, but I had immense expectations for myself in the future: I planned on playing soccer for a top university, while that college paid for my education. This dream of mine was not an easy feat to accomplish. I had many things pushing against me: nobody at my high school had ever attended a prestigious college for soccer, no college coach knew of me, I had not even cracked the roster on my high school team. None of those obstacles mattered to me, though; I just knew that my destiny was to be a college footballer. I had four years to achieve my dream. Little did I know, making my dream a reality would require dedication and patience.

            My first year of high school, I trained hard to increase my stamina and build muscle. I dedicated my time to a local gym where I lifted weights after school and took daily runs with a few of my friends.  A couple months later, I earned my spot on an adult team to familiarize myself with playing with people older than me.  At first, the older guys thought I was unable to keep up with them, but I showed them that I was willing to work hard to prove myself. However, my dream was put on hold my sophomore year. The guys that I played with for a year had all gotten accepted to colleges out of state. Even though I still played for my school, I didn’t think the competition was tough enough to satisfy me. Playing with the older team taught me how to outsmart the other high school players because the marginal difference in the skill level was very wide.

            The next year, my junior year, I prepared myself for the new school year and the upcoming soccer season. I began to pay more attention to my health and vowed to take better care of myself by working on my skills and working out at the gym daily. I worked on my ball control, bench press and squats. Practices began to pass by faster because soccer became my main priority. I worked with my younger teammates just like my older teammates had for me. That year, I helped lead my team to the semi-finals and even scored a goal.

            Senior year, on top of working on earning a championship win for my team, I applied for college. The recruiting process was difficult and nerve wrecking.  After reviewing my highlight footage, the coach from the University of Cincinnati called and asked if I was willing to play for the school but said that I wouldn’t be able to play my first year. A few months later Coach Gyau from Howard called and asked me to play and told me I would be able to play my freshman year.  At this moment, I realized that all my hard work had not dissipated. My hard work and dedication contribute to my success, and I have proved, at least to myself, that a simple dream can become a reality.