Nickels Student Athlete Scholarship

My parents were three sport athletes in high school. During their time, there was little league, rec soccer, and local competitive programs for kids to participate in sports with volunteer coaches, parents in the dugout, and no previous experience required. By the time you got to high school, there were tryouts - but you didn't have to be exceptional to at least make a JV team. Now sports are a full time job for kids. To play at the high school level you have to have a passion for practice, training, and being competitive, or you won't have the chance to play for your school. The kids who are making Varsity have been playing their sports for years, and they likely focus on just one sport. Being a jack-of-all-trades and playing multiple sports is not the norm anymore, but rather the exception. My parents made sure my 3 siblings and I were all exposed to sports, not just as fans, but as athletes. They’ve been on the sidelines for baseball, football, volleyball, horse-riding, basketball, softball, tennis, soccer, track, gymnastics and golf. We tried everything. And when we loved something, they made sure we had as much access to it as they could provide. Eventually we each had to narrow down our interests – to play any one sport really well – you have to focus. So now my parents have a golfer, a ,soccer player, a volleyball libero – and me – a basketball shooting guard. I practice EVERY SINGLE DAY. I do it because I love it, and I love to get better, and I love to have a great game, and I love to be part of my team. I started playing Varsity when I was just a freshmen. But that was because there were no days off to getting there. Basketball is super competitive in Miami, and only the hardest workers get the chance to play. So I have worked hard. I practice and play in leagues 12 months a year either with my school team, or one of two travel teams. For four years of high school I've given up my spring breaks, Christmas Break, and summers so that I could train and compete with my teams, so I could continue to get better, so maybe, just maybe I could one day play in college. That has been the dream. Basketball has been my full time passion, and full time job for as long as I can remember. I've been admitted to my first choice college, based on academics, but I still have a glimmer of hope that there's a college out there that will want me to play for their basketball team. That dream is still there.