Sports have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was 8 months old I was running around the house. My parents called me a speed demon and said they could not control me because of my energy. When I was old enough to speak and understand I was old enough to participate in sports. I've played almost everything under the moon: dance, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, basketball, softball, swimming, diving and volleyball.

Each sport that I have participated in has taught me multiple values about healthy lifestyle and discipline in life. I cannot thank my mother and father enough for pushing me to always be my best and supporting my choices in life no matter what sport I was playing. Ranging from the rainy soccer games, the long drawn out no-hitter softball games to winning conference for volleyball.

Sports have taught me discipline in how I talk to people, how I deal with the pain of a loss and the high of a win. I understand now that to be a winner is not just about performance that you give on the field but about the times in the gym and the extra practice times, the focus, determination and dedication that you have to have. To know when you can go out and party, and to know when not to eat the seven layer chocolate cake and have an apple or banana instead.

Sports have helped me in my times of need more than once. I have been able to overcome losses where sympathy from the relatives and sitting in my house does not help. Sports have been there for me to release that stress, to take my anger out. The sport listens to my stress and helps me to work through it.

Sports have taught me to not let go of myself. That taking care of my health is very important while having a very busy schedule. You need to eat right, work out and stretch to make sure that you are ready go into games whenever you are called upon. It relates to life as well: you always need to be ready to go so that you are able to get the most out of the life you live while it's there. You just have to be ready for the opportunity whenever it presents itself.

Thank you, sports, for making sure that I did not get put into an insane asylum, for letting me take out my aggression in a legal way. Thank you for teaching me values in life that I would have most likely ignored if my parents had told me about them. Thank you for teaching me discipline and how to care about what goes on in my life and that school does come before sports. Thank you for keeping my head above water all these years and helping me keep the faith in myself.