"Adversity doesn't build character; it reveals it." This quote from James Lane Allen is something I have heard throughout my entire life. I have the blessing (and the curse) of having a father that coaches high school football. So, I have been around the game of football my entire life. My mom loves to tell the story of how when I was brought home from the hospital, my dad dropped us off and went to coach in a high school football scrimmage. Of course, she didn't mind. She knew football was important to him and, thus, important to her. Once I was old enough to pay attention on the sidelines, I was a manager. So, from the ages of six to twelve, I served the high school team as a ball boy, water boy, etc. I couldn't wait to play football when I got to the 7th grade. Why did I wait until 7th grade? My dad felt that it was smarter to focus on basketball and baseball until then. So, he wouldn't let me play until I was in junior high. Unfortunately, that meant my first year of football was junior high football (7th and 8th grade). Being in 7th grade and naturally on the smaller side, I was physically outmatched. I started at quarterback and free safety because our team did not have a lot of eighth graders. However, most of the teams we were playing were not in the same boat. Needless to say, the games didn't go very well. It was not quite the introduction to football that I had always imagined. We went 1-6 that first year (mercifully, the junior high season isn't that long). In 8th grade, with the help of experience and puberty, we were able to improve to 3-4. It was not great, but it was much improved. Since I was a talented basketball player, many people thought I would specialize in that and give football up, but that thought never crossed my mind. My dad likes to say that "a person only gets a short time to be an athlete. Play as many sports as you want and have fun with your friends." So, I heeded his words and kept playing. Fortunately, my freshmen year, our varsity had a great year and experienced a lot of success. The senior class was a great group of athletes and people. They created a culture of unselfishness and toughness that carried over to the field. This was not a coincidence. Our coaches are constantly speaking about the intangibles that go into winning. Not only do they go into winning in athletics, they go into winning in life as well. We, as players, bought into that message and did all the little things that go into creating a positive culture. That culture stayed all four years I played on the varsity. We never won the district championship, but we did qualify for the playoffs four times and won a total of 34 games during my high school career. Personally, I became an all-conference player in both my junior and senior seasons. More importantly, I learned life lessons that would never be able to experience otherwise. I have had to handle success, failure, and adversity. All three are different and need a different skillset. In addition, I've had to work towards a common goal with a diverse group of individuals. This is something that will translate into my adult workplace and family life. These are skills I would not have learned without football and I am grateful for lessons it has taught me.

"Whether we sink or we swim, whether we rise or we fall, WE MEET OUR FATE TOGETHER!"-Joe Clark. This inspirational line from the movie Lean on Me speaks to me for many reasons. The foremost reason I love it is that it uses the pronoun "We". I'm a big believer in teamwork and the power it can have on our lives and our communities. I have played sports my entire childhood and coaches often preach the importance of teamwork. However, not all players or parents really buy into that philosophy. It has been my experience though that when players and parents do buy into philosophy amazing things can happen. Lean on Me is a great example of this. Since it is based on a true story, it gives hope to people facing adversity. The students of East Side High were at a great disadvantage due to their socioeconomic status. It is tough to overcome that. Yet, with Joe Clark's dedication, discipline, and tough love, they were able to do just that. One man's determination was able to change the fate of so many people. Of course, he did not do it alone. He needed the support of the teachers, other admin, and some parents. Most critically, he needed the buy-in of the students of East Side High. By showing them how much he cared and the lengths he was willing to go to for them, he was able to get them to believe in HIM and themselves. Once they had that since of pride, they were motivated to do well. How did he give them pride? He cleaned up the school and made it safe for them to learn. That was the first step. Then, he challenged the staff to work harder and have a more optimistic outlook. Once that culture was established, the kids were able to learn. Furthermore, he fought battles to keep it that way. He kept the drugs and drug dealers from affecting the education of the students. By taking away the crime and violence that had previously been prevalent, he made it possible for kids to focus on their schoolwork. The fact that he did it all in a relatively short amount of time is amazing. Joe Clark and the movie Lean on Me shows the difference that one person can make. I hope to be a person like him some day. I want to have an impact on a large group of people and my community. Through Lean on Me, I was able to see that this is possible. One man (or person) can make a great difference.

"Adversity doesn't build character; it reveals it." This quote from James Lane Allen is something I have heard throughout my entire life. I have the blessing (and the curse) of having a father that coaches high school football. So, I have been around the game of football my entire life. My mom loves to tell the story of how when I was brought home from the hospital, my dad dropped us off and went to coach in a high school football scrimmage. Of course, she didn't mind. She knew football was important to him and, thus, important to her. Once I was old enough to pay attention on the sidelines, I was a manager. So, from the ages of six to twelve, I served the high school team as a ball boy, water boy, etc. I couldn't wait to play football when I got to the 7th grade. Why did I wait until 7th grade? My dad felt that it was smarter to focus on basketball and baseball until then. So, he wouldn't let me play until I was in junior high. Unfortunately, that meant my first year of football was junior high football (7th and 8th grade). Being in 7th grade and naturally on the smaller side, I was physically outmatched. I started at quarterback and free safety because our team did not have a lot of eighth graders. However, most of the teams we were playing were not in the same boat. Needless to say, the games didn't go very well. It was not quite the introduction to football that I had always imagined. We went 1-6 that first year (mercifully, the junior high season isn't that long). In 8th grade, with the help of experience and puberty, we were able to improve to 3-4. It was not great, but it was much improved. Since I was a talented basketball player, many people thought I would specialize in that and give football up, but that thought never crossed my mind. My dad likes to say that "a person only gets a short time to be an athlete. Play as many sports as you want and have fun with your friends." So, I heeded his words and kept playing. Fortunately, my freshmen year, our varsity had a great year and experienced a lot of success. The senior class was a great group of athletes and people. They created a culture of unselfishness and toughness that carried over to the field. This was not a coincidence. Our coaches are constantly speaking about the intangibles that go into winning. Not only do they go into winning in athletics, they go into winning in life as well. We, as players, bought into that message and did all the little things that go into creating a positive culture. That culture stayed all four years I played on the varsity. We never won the district championship, but we did qualify for the playoffs four times and won a total of 34 games during my high school career. Personally, I became an all-conference player in both my junior and senior seasons. More importantly, I learned life lessons that would never be able to experience otherwise. I have had to handle success, failure,.and adversity. All three are different and need a different skillset. In addition, I've had to work towards a common goal with a diverse group of individuals. This is something that will translate into my adult workplace and family life. These are skills I would not have learned without football and I am grateful for lessons it has taught me.

"Adversity doesn't build character; it reveals it." This quote from James Lane Allen is something I have heard throughout my entire life. I have the blessing (and the curse) of having a father that coaches high school football. So, I have been around the game of football my entire life. My mom loves to tell the story of how when I was brought home from the hospital, my dad dropped us off and went to coach in a high school football scrimmage. Of course, she didn't mind. She knew football was important to him and, thus, important to her. Once I was old enough to pay attention on the sidelines, I was a manager. So, from the ages of six to twelve, I served the high school team as a ball boy, water boy, etc. I couldn't wait to play football when I got to the 7th grade. Why did I wait until 7th grade? My dad felt that it was smarter to focus on basketball and baseball until then. So, he wouldn't let me play until I was in junior high. Unfortunately, that meant my first year of football was junior high football (7th and 8th grade). Being in 7th grade and naturally on the smaller side, I was physically outmatched. I started at quarterback and free safety because our team did not have a lot of eighth graders. However, most of the teams we were playing were not in the same boat. Needless to say, the games didn't go very well. It was not quite the introduction to football that I had always imagined. We went 1-6 that first year (mercifully, the junior high season isn't that long). In 8th grade, with the help of experience and puberty, we were able to improve to 3-4. It was not great, but it was much improved. Since I was a talented basketball player, many people thought I would specialize in that and give football up, but that thought never crossed my mind. My dad likes to say that "a person only gets a short time to be an athlete. Play as many sports as you want and have fun with your friends." So, I heeded his words and kept playing. Fortunately, my freshmen year, our varsity had a great year and experienced a lot of success. The senior class was a great group of athletes and people. They created a culture of unselfishness and toughness that carried over to the field. This was not a coincidence. Our coaches are constantly speaking about the intangibles that go into winning. Not only do they go into winning in athletics, they go into winning in life as well. We, as players, bought into that message and did all the little things that go into creating a positive culture. That culture stayed all four years I played on the varsity. We never won the district championship, but we did qualify for the playoffs four times and won a total of 34 games during my high school career. Personally, I became an all-conference player in both my junior and senior seasons. More importantly, I learned life lessons that would never be able to experience otherwise. I have had to handle success, failure, and adversity. All three are different and need a different skillset. In addition, I've had to work towards a common goal with a diverse group of individuals. This is something that will translate into my adult workplace and family life. These are skills I would not have learned without football and I am grateful for lessons it has taught me.

"Adversity doesn't build character; it reveals it." This quote from James Lane Allen is something I have heard throughout my entire life. I have the blessing (and the curse) of having a father that coaches high school football. So, I have been around the game of football my entire life. My mom loves to tell the story of how when I was brought home from the hospital, my dad dropped us off and went to coach in a high school football scrimmage. Of course, she didn't mind. She knew football was important to him and, thus, important to her. Being in 7th grade and naturally on the smaller side, I was physically outmatched. I started at quarterback and free safety because our team did not have a lot of eighth graders. However, most of the teams we were playing were not in the same boat. Needless to say, the games didn't go very well. It was not quite the introduction to football that I had always imagined. We went 1-6 that first year (mercifully, the junior high season isn't that long). In 8th grade, with the help of experience and puberty, we were able to improve to 3-4. It was not great, but it was much improved. Since I was a talented basketball player, many people thought I would specialize in that and give football up, but that thought never crossed my mind. My dad likes to say that "a person only gets a short time to be an athlete. Play as many sports as you want and have fun with your friends." So, I heeded his words and kept playing. Fortunately, my freshmen year, our varsity had a great year and experienced a lot of success. The senior class was a great group of athletes and people. They created a culture of unselfishness and toughness that carried over to the field. This was not a coincidence. Our coaches are constantly speaking about the intangibles that go into winning. Not only do they go into winning in athletics, they go into winning in life as well. We, as players, bought into that message and did all the little things that go into creating a positive culture. That culture stayed all four years I played on the varsity. We never won the district championship, but we did qualify for the playoffs four times and won a total of 34 games during my high school career. Personally, I became an all-conference player in both my junior and senior seasons. More importantly, I learned life lessons that would never be able to experience otherwise. I have had to handle success, failure, and adversity. All three are different and need a different skillset. In addition, I've had to work towards a common goal with a diverse group of individuals. This is something that will translate into my adult workplace and family life. These are skills I would not have learned without football and I am grateful for lessons it has taught me.

"Adversity doesn't build character; it reveals it." This quote from James Lane Allen is something I have heard throughout my entire life. I have the blessing (and the curse) of having a father that coaches high school football. So, I have been around the game of football my entire life. My mom loves to tell the story of how when I was brought home from the hospital, my dad dropped us off and went to coach in a high school football scrimmage. Of course, she didn't mind. She knew football was important to him and, thus, important to her. Once I was old enough to pay attention on the sidelines, I was a manager. So, from the ages of six to twelve, I served the high school team as a ball boy, water boy, etc. I couldn't wait to play football when I got to the 7th grade. Why did I wait until 7th grade? My dad felt that it was smarter to focus on basketball and baseball until then. So, he wouldn't let me play until I was in junior high. Unfortunately, that meant my first year of football was junior high football (7th and 8th grade). Being in 7th grade and naturally on the smaller side, I was physically outmatched. I started at quarterback and free safety because our team did not have a lot of eighth graders. However, most of the teams we were playing were not in the same boat. Needless to say, the games didn't go very well. It was not quite the introduction to football that I had always imagined. We went 1-6 that first year (mercifully, the junior high season isn't that long). In 8th grade, with the help of experience and puberty, we were able to improve to 3-4. It was not great, but it was much improved. Since I was a talented basketball player, many people thought I would specialize in that and give football up, but that thought never crossed my mind. My dad likes to say that "a person only gets a short time to be an athlete. Play as many sports as you want and have fun with your friends." So, I heeded his words and kept playing. Fortunately, my freshmen year, our varsity had a great year and experienced a lot of success. The senior class was a great group of athletes and people. They created a culture of unselfishness and toughness that carried over to the field. This was not a coincidence. Our coaches are constantly speaking about the intangibles that go into winning. Not only do they go into winning in athletics, they go into winning in life as well. We, as players, bought into that message and did all the little things that go into creating a positive culture. That culture stayed all four years I played on the varsity. We never won the district championship, but we did qualify for the playoffs four times and won a total of 34 games during my high school career. Personally, I became an all-conference player in both my junior and senior seasons. More importantly, I learned life lessons that would never be able to experience otherwise. I have had to handle success. I have had to handle failure. I have had to handle adversity. All three are different and need a different skillset. In addition, I've had to work towards a common goal with a diverse group of individuals. These are skills I would not have learned without my father and I am grateful for lessons he has taught me.

Since I have played sports all of my life, I have faced adversity from time to time. Most recently, I dislocated my elbow during this past football season. Since it was my senior year and I was hoping to use it to get recruited, this was a particularly difficult injury. I had worked extremely hard this past summer to be the biggest, fastest, and strongest I could be. More importantly, it was my last chance to play with my friends and to play for my dad, one of the assistant coaches. So, when I got hurt in the fourth game of the season, I was devastated. Not only were my individual and team goals in jeopardy, I was not able to compete with my friends. Sitting on the sidelines on Friday nights was something I did not expect. However, with the help of an occupational therapist, our team trainer, and my friends and family, I was able to battle back and play the final few games. The injury taught me the importance of being in the moment. Sometimes, I can get caught thinking about the future too much, This incident taught me to enjoy it, all of it, which includes the tough times as well. I would be honored to receive the Dave G. Sutton Memorial Scholarship for several reasons. I, like Dave, enjoy a variety of sports. I have lettered in four sports in high school. By the time I graduate, I will have 16 letters, which in this day and age of specialization, is unheard of. Secondly, his traits remind of my dad. My dad has coached multiple sports and at multiple age levels. He is always the first person to volunteer because he believes that sports teach character and, that without sports, many kids will not learn moral lessons that will help them when they become adults. Without a doubt, I would like to give back to my community in the same way that Dave did. Sports are a great way to unite people of different walks of life. In a sports locker room, you'll find people of different races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds all fighting for the same goal. In these polarizing times, that ability sets sports a part of many other activities. In sports, no one cares about your social economic status, etc. They only care if you are a good teammate that fights to the bitter end with his friends.