Football as a metaphor

# Here's a personal statement I wrote when I was applying to colleges in the US. This was end of 2021.

Football is a funny game. A starting XI full of players who show promise on the training ground is trusted by the manager, who takes a gamble on them in the hopes of beating the opposition. The team plays for 90 minutes, with a half-time break of 15 minutes and extra time, giving it their all so they can win. At the end of the game, there can be 3 outcomes - win, draw or lose. Every point matters.


Every year of my life is like a season of football, and I, in my many roles represent a team.


Nuren concedes! Unlucky to not save that one. I break down. I have my moments when I am trying to do so much, hoping for a spectacular finish, but there are times I fumble. These moments make me want to give up, and I lose my direction. I brush myself off and get back on the field. It’s difficult to get out of that rut, but I still need to try. If not for me, then for my team and all of the ones that have come out to cheer for me.


Oh no, she missed a sitter! Even when everything seems to be going right, the minutest oversight can cause an upset. But the game is still going on, and I have time to turn things around. It is easy to stay in that sullen place and lose your way, but that is not who I am. I need to pick myself up and proceed because there will be more chances for me to show my skills.


Goal! I feel motivated and my destination is clear as day. My work is touching lives, and there is meaning in what I do. I am where I want to be, where I need to be. I’ve won today. As I raise my hands in glory, I hear everyone around me cheer, and the sense of elation floods my being. I am seizing the moments as they come, and basking in the glory.


At the end of the season, all those wins and draws add up to win them the league. For me, the win is how much I have been able to give back to my community - the people I work with, the people who have raised me, and the people whose lives I haven’t touched yet. Some seasons you can’t win, but you always have another shot. What’s important is that you keep trying, have that mentality and show consistency. In a 38 game season, anything can happen.


# I love everything I've written up to this point. It becomes a little pretentious after this.

A mid-table club can beat the champions of the previous season, but lose to a team that is on the brink of relegation in the next game. Sometimes, I have performed well in class, but poorly when I was quizzed about the same topic in a test. Football clubs are riddled with injuries and sickness, due to which managers are forced to make changes to their teams. I have had to skip classes and stop work to support my family when we contracted COVID-19. Every transfer window, clubs try to buy players they believe will improve their team. I pick up skills that will improve me, putting in the hard work and having faith in myself. Changes are the only constant in the beautiful game.


Similar to football clubs, I will continue dreaming big to achieve the biggest trophies. There will be ups and downs, but I will persevere and make it through. The teams that are remembered are the ones that are constantly trying to grow and develop, who show determination and grit. I too will be like them, so that one day they can call me a legend of the game.


# The ending is so good.

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