In the seventh grade, I attended off-season workouts for the middle school softball team. Each day I was committed to becoming a better softball player. I have been playing softball since third grade, but I have continued to believe that there is always room for improvement. When the time came for tryouts to begin, I walked onto the field with a determined attitude. During the next three days of tryouts, I played to the best of my ability. The morning came for the posting of the names of the individuals who had made the first cut. If my name was on the list, I would be attending the second round of tryouts that afternoon. When I got to school that morning I walked straight to the list, apprehensive about what I might find. To my relief my name was definitely on the list. Even though I was optimistic, there was still an additional sequence in the process. Once again, I put forth my best effort at tryouts. When I arrived at school the following morning, I was concerned about whether or not I had made the team. The list was posted and I found that my name was not on it. I automatically became disheartened. My heart sank, but I began to ponder over the decision that had been reached. There was a reason behind it and I needed to accept it. Throughout the day I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to make the best of the situation and become stronger because of it. Looking ahead, I decided to focus on further developing…show more content… This second defeat had a different impact on me. This time I was going to keep a positive attitude and determine what my options were for the future. I could either quit playing softball altogether or continue to improve and try again in high school. I chose the latter. By deciding not to quit, I was able to make the Junior Varsity softball team at my high school in tenth and eleventh grade. My several years of hard work and determination had finally paid