The Heart of the Game shows the hard work and determination of the Roosevelt Roughriders girls’ basketball team. We see how over the course of several seasons the team grows into state champions. They achieve this feat by tackling any adversities that they face head on. Whether it is heart crushing defeat or infighting that leads to the girls distrusting each other, they work things out and keep on fighting. They truly put all of their heart into the game. The Heart of the Game demonstrates how important it is to put heart into every aspect of our life, on and off the court. Everyone must find what they are passionate about and put their full heart into it. For me my passion is helping others. I have a heart that yearns to help those in need however I can. I want to bring them comfort in their darkest times, just like the girls do for each other in the film. I have felt called to live out my passion by pursuing a career in the medical field. It is a well known fact that the path to becoming a doctor is a difficult one. From pre med studies, to the MCAT exam, to medical school applications, to medical school studies, to passing the licensing exams, to residency, and finally board certifications, there are many difficult tasks that one must complete before reaching their final goal of becoming a doctor. This shows that one must have a true heart for the profession in order to accomplish this immense task. Having heart for our passions allows for us to continue to strive towards our goals in the face of adversity. No matter what setbacks we may face, having heart allows us to push on. Having heart also helps us to work through the tough times we face as we push towards our goals. Whether that be grueling basketball practices or long nights of studying, heart helps us to keep pushing through these difficult times. If one does not have heart, they can not accomplish anything. The Heart of the Game is a great example of how hard work and dedication can help us to reach our goals, no matter how unattainable they may seem. Heart can help us to reach the unreachable. In order to accomplish any goal, we must have the heart and perseverance to work towards and achieve our passions. Seeing how these girls reached their goals helped me to see that if I put their actions to practice I too can reach mine. I just have to have the right heart to do it.

I grew up in a Catholic home and I attended Catholic school in elementary school. I was very passionate about my Catholic faith growing up. However, as I got older I began to feel more distant from God. I didn't feel like I actually had a relationship with Him. I simply felt like I was trying to be a good person in order to please Him so I wouldn´t go to hell after I died. This was not the way our relationship with God was meant to be. However, when you grow up in a Catholic family it is very hard to leave. I had planned on leaving the Catholic faith after I went off to college, but when I entered high school my mother decided to leave as well. After we left, we began attending a local Baptist church. There they emphasized the importance of reading the Bible and having a personal time with God. This was a completely new concept for me. The Catholic churches I had attended never really emphasized the importance of reading your Bible. Now of course this seems rather silly, as reading God's word is one of the most important ways that we can come closer to Him. I developed a much deeper relationship with God after I finished my first read through of the Bible. I saw how God's plan of love and forgiveness had played out since the beginning of time and I saw how this plan had played out in order to reach me. I also learned more about the way God really wanted me to live. I learned that God wanted to have a relationship with me, not for me to simply obey His laws out of fear. This was an amazing revelation. As I became closer to God my life completely changed. My depression and anxiety significantly decreased. I became a more joyful and outgoing person, so much so that people have truly seen the difference as I have become less shy and more outgoing. My language has become much cleaner as well, as I became convicted by verses such as Ephesians 4:29. I have also become more outspoken about my faith. I have been committed to living my life for Christ and I pray that I do this every day. I have been teased as a ¨bible thumper¨ and a ¨Jesus freak¨, and I have also been teased about my devotion to chastity until marriage, but it doesn't bother me. If anything this teasing shows that I am doing a good job of accomplishing my goal to live for Christ, not the world. These words of teasing have become words of encouragement for me. Ever since I have started my journey of coming closer to God, my life has become so much better and more joyful. I look forward to growing deeper in my relationship with Christ as I serve Him throughout college and in my future career in the medical field. I had always been extremely anxious about college and my future career, but as I prayed more about it I came to believe that God was calling me to the medical field so that I could serve Him by helping others in their time of need. Verses such as Jeremiah 29:11 have helped me to remember that God has the best plan for me and that I can entrust my future to Him. God has done so much through my relationship with Him to make my life better and I look forward to an amazing future that is full of me serving the Lord.

My mother has been such a huge influence on my life. She is the person who has done the most to raise me in my Christian faith. She has always been heavily involved in our church, whether it being on retreat committees or singing at church. She is also one of the most generous, kindest people I know. When I was in 5th grade, my aunt got in legal trouble and lost custody of her sons. Rather than letting the two young boys go into the foster system, my parents decided to adopt them. My mother is not even the boy´s aunt by blood, but she has still chosen to be their mother and to provide them with the love and care they need. She went from having one child to three and she did it with a heart full of love and compassion. She has helped these boys to leave their past behind and has helped set them up for a brighter future. I am in awe of my mother´s compassion and Christian virtues. She has shown me how to be a loving, compassionate, generous Christian woman and she has helped me to become the person I am today.

Hello, my name is Madelyn Karstedt. I am a senior at Fayetteville High School. I have participated in many extracurricular activities. I am president of the student council and the National Honor Society, as well as my class´ president. I am also the treasurer for Leo Club, which is a student volunteer organization. I have also participated in several UIL academic events such as ready writing, essay writing, feature writing, and science. I also competed in UIL Congressional Debate and advanced to the state finals. In sports I have been involved in track, cheer, and softball. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, trying new foods, reading, and learning about new topics. Recently, my main topic of interest in my personal time has been religious studies such as church history, apologetics, and theology. I also enjoy learning about history and science. I also have a passion for singing. I love musicals and have participated in several local productions. I also enjoy participating in worship at my church. I am also an active member of my youth group and love helping out at my church whenever I can. Once I graduate from high school, I plan on attending Texas A&M and pursuing a degree in biology. After I receive my bachelors I hope to go on to medical school. I want to become a doctor because I want to be able to help others in their time of need. I feel that God is calling me to the medical field and that it is where I will find the most fulfillment in my work. Outside of my career, I hope to get married to the love of my life. I want us to travel the world together. I also want for us to build each other up in our walk with Christ and to be very active in our church. I would also like to use my skills as a doctor in missionary work. I am excited to explore more about the wonderful world God has created.

My grandmother recently moved into a new house and it came with a barn cat. We decided to name her Matilda. She is the sweetest kitty you will ever meet. As soon as she moved in she would come up to us and rub against our legs. She is a sweet cuddler and my sister and I have a blast playing with her with a laser. She is energetic and has a great personality. I am absolutely in love with our accidental pet.

I have faced adversity in my life, but it was helped to make me who I am today. It has taught me how to be a true leader. When I was entering the fifth grade, my parents adopted my two cousins. Before that I had been an only child all of my life, so this was an enormous change for me. A few years later, my mom had my baby sister. In a matter of three years, I had gone from being an only child to being one of four siblings. It was a very difficult experience for me, but I have learned so much because of it. I have learned that true leadership requires compassion and a selfless love for others. I often help to take care of my younger siblings which have taught me to have this kind of compassion and love. Being a leader is not about having others serve you or having control over them. It is about putting your own concerns and ambitions aside and helping to do what is best for those around you. In summary, it just as Jesus said in Matthew 20:26, “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be a servant.” True leadership involves selfless service to others and this is the best kind of leadership of all. True leadership is extremely important. It helps us to be the best version of ourselves and love others unconditionally. I would not have learned these valuable qualities if I had not faced difficulty in my life.

I plan on pursuing a degree in biology. I find the study of biology to be fascinating. I enjoy learning about the intricate ways that the world works. This year I am taking anatomy at school and I have been absolutely captivated by it. The processes that our body does to keep us alive is amazing. Our body is constantly working as this incredible machine to do the most basic processes that often time we take for granted. I plan on using this degree to go into the medical field. I believe that a degree in biology will give me a firm foundation for the material I will learn in medical school. I am so excited to enter medical school and learn about the intricacies of the human body. I am also excited to be able to use this knowledge to help others in their time of need. This is what has truly called me to the medical field. I have an intense desire to help others and I feel like my work will be the most fulfilling if I can pursue this goal. I want to use my education to help better the world, one patient at a time.

I plan on pursuing a degree in biology. I find the study of biology to be fascinating. I enjoy learning about the intricate ways that the world works. This year I am taking anatomy at school and I have been absolutely captivated by it. The processes that our body does to keep us alive is amazing. Our body is constantly working as this incredible machine to do the most basic processes that often time we take for granted. I plan on using this degree to go into the medical field. I believe that a degree in biology will give me a firm foundation for the material I will learn in medical school. I am so excited to enter medical school and learn about the intricacies of the human body. I am also excited to be able to use this knowledge to help others in their time of need. This is what has truly called me to the medical field. I have an intense desire to help others and I feel like my work will be the most fulfilling if I can pursue this goal. I want to use my education to help better the world, one patient at a time.