Ever since I was born and all the way until I was 10 years old, I was always in the middle of Joint Custody. Sports were one of the only main things I would see my parents somewhat come together for. So ever since 2014, when my mother passed on, I've been living with my father, stepmother, and 2 younger half-brothers. When my mom passed on not only did she leave me but she also left my younger half-sister. Since I was going through custody issues, I still regularly see my maternal grandfather and my sister, since they are who I lived with in my mother's household. Her passing was a result of cirrhosis from her alcoholism. As I've grown and seeing other family members pass due to alcoholism, I told myself I won't ever become an alcoholic. That issue was one of many that has affected me in many ways. I still mourn her loss once in a while, but I know there is nothing that I can do to change the past. So because of this, my getaway to my issues are sports. I play both Football and Lacrosse. Before my mother past, I was enrolled in a new elementary school and in a PE class I was introduced to Lacrosse. The game was more complex than football and basketball (both of which I played at the time), but I picked it up very easily and I enjoyed it a lot. Then in the winter break in that same year, my mom past away, so just playing lacrosse has held a special place in my heart. Following this I was signed up for a team, since I than had constantly bugged my dad and stepmom to sign me up for it. And ever since then, I have become a top player in all of New Mexico and spots on many out of state travel teams. Lacrosse has given me the opportunity to play in college and has enabled me to travel places in the country where I'd never thought I'd go. I've been playing Football since I was around 9 years old. This sport was, other than school events or birthday parties, the main times I would ever see my parents somewhat interact with each other in a positive way. I've always enjoyed playing football. Seeing my parents at my games gave me a reason to be there and I remember thinking about it like that. So my mom no longer at my games kind of gave me a negative connotation to play games so I dropped it. It wasn't until I was a freshman I had decided to play again. This time I wanted to play for her and the rest of my family. Unlike Lacrosse, in high school I hardly played at all as a freshman, even on the freshman team. I had to push myself in practice and everything to stand out, which I did my sophomore year. This taught me hard work because I was on the varsity ever since my sophomore year, and I was a top defensive lineman at the end of this last season. Now I am going to use my future education to become a physical therapist to heal other athletes not just physically, but emotionally as well.