When I was a sophomore in high school I tore a ligament in my knee, called the ACL. This is an especially devastating and painful ligament to tear because it keeps you out of sports for about 6 to 9 months on average. It can be a super hard injury to recover from. However, what I remember most from my injury was attending physical therapy 2 to 3 times a week for months. I remember it clearly due to my physical therapist and the other physical therapists and assistants at the clinic I went to. So even after about 7 years I clearly remember my physical therapist and his impact on my life. His name was Frank and he was great. He was always excited to work and he wanted what was best for his patients. I remember how motivating and knowledgeable he was. I enjoyed going to physical therapy even on my hard days because of him and the rest of the staff. I enjoyed the environment and seeing my progress after my injury. Therefore, I think through my career goal of becoming a physical therapist I will be able to have many lasting impressions on patients. I will be able to guide them through injuries and ailments to improve their quality of life. The American Physical Therapy Association states that physical therapists are “movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.” I know after completing a doctorate of physical therapy program I will be able to improve many people’s lives. As a physical therapist, I will have the choice to specialize in a certain area and this can include: geriatrics, orthopedics, women’s health, pediatrics and the list goes on. One area I am interested in is pediatrics because this is a specialty dealing with children. I didn’t grow up with any younger siblings or younger cousins, so unfortunately I was never able to be around a lot of young children. Although, I think children are great because they are so full of life and can absorb so much information. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed coaching youth soccer. Children are so funny and fulfilling to be around. I coached rec soccer for 2 seasons, one was 13-15-year-old coed and the other team was 9-10-year-old girls. I also coached a season of academy girls, who were 6-10 years old and at the same time, I coached a girls’ club soccer team of 12-year-olds. I had so much fun seeing their love for the game and seeing their friendships form. Even if I do not specialize as a physical therapist, I would love to continue being around children, whether that be through volunteering or coaching soccer or a track team. I would love to be able to share my passion for soccer and running with children.