Varsity Football is the top football team in ISK. I have been in the team for 2 seasons now which are from mid August to mid November. During a season practices are on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday afternoons, and Wednesday mornings, each lasting 80 minutes. We play around 10 games during the season, this season we finished 2nd in our group and were undefeated which meant we qualified for the semi finals. Last season we made it to the semi finals as well, but lost to RVA 2-1. This year I was surprised to even reach the semi finals, let alone be undefeated. We lost our experienced defenders at the end of last season because they graduated, so this year our entire defence was made up of new-comers to varsity. As a senior and a returning player to the team, I had significant responsibility in the team. I had to set a good example to the newcomers of the team. I think the current unexpected success of the team is largely due the the high standard the returning varsity players and I set during the first few weeks of training. The coach (Sags) happened to agree with this, he mentioned it to the team after our last game this season. This season we did better than last year, and made to to the final, an achievement that hasn't been accomplished by ISK varsity football that our own athletics director Derrick Quinet or coach Sags can remember. I was very proud after beating Turi in the semi final by 2 goals to 0, it meant that the next day we would travel to RVA to play Rosslyn. It ended up being an unfortunate end to a fantastic season, it was 1-1 by the end of normal time, but they scored a lucky goal to win 2-1 near the end of extra time. I am still very proud to be a part of such a brilliant team that was committed, dedicated, and improved from the first practice until the final. Another driving force that allowed us to be so successful was our will power. On 3 or more occasions we came from a goal behind to go on and win the match. This demonstrates the great character and will to succeed that we have in our team.
As a player in the team, I personally grew on many levels. For Coach Sags, punctuality is very important, so is dedication and focus. During every practice session and especially during matches full concentration is required so we stay on task and carry out the game plan properly. He makes us do deep breathing exercises to help with concentration, and I have been able to apply this on and off the pitch. Communication and cohesion within the team has also been a key component to our success. We have been so successful because of our good team chemistry which has only been possible because of the good relations built among the team mates. We are good friends on and off the pitch, and this teamwork can be applied to school and other project situations. My role in the team is a starting player and a leading figure as one of the returning senior players on the team. I set an example to younger players. I do this through performance, or actions on the pitch rather than verbally.
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