Iyanu Adebisi '17 Recruiting Profile

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure”. 

As a scrawny 6th grader entering the daunting gates of secondary school, I refused to allow the mere fact that I was part of the youngest grade to stop me from competing with the best athletes. With this being said, I  tried out and succeeded in become the starting goalkeeper for the junior varsity soccer team at the age of just  11. The feeling of being a rookie is a daunting prospect that is associated with unnecessary pressure, as you are the primary source of blame. Exposing myself to such a high level of sport at an early age has really shaped me as a person. Further, sports has influenced my life to the extent that with every win I gain confidence and with every loss I reflect and build character.

Being a competitive athlete from a young age has aided my understanding  of what character truly is. It has also given me the opportunity to learn, reflect and improve, not only as an athlete but also as a person in general.  I still remember the time as a 6th grader being the youngest on the team and playing in a under 16 football tournament, and my mistake cost us a place in the final. Honestly, this mistake could stop any kid from stepping onto a pitch again. However, the moments after were what defined me as an athlete. My coach always full of passion and positivity could not hide his disappointment in my timely error. But of course,  it is his job to ensure that I did not dwell on it too much. He told me, “ that mistakes are a part of all sports, but it’s about learning from them and the way in which we react, that, is what defines who we truly are”. Ever since that day I have seen failure as something that is acceptable and shouldn’t be frowned upon rather should be embraced as an essential learning experience.

As an athlete it is important to accept that losing is an aspect of sport that is inevitable to all competitors. However, the way we deal with a loss is what separates the elite athletes from the rest. Personally, I had to learn this the hard way, as being a young competitor losing is something you do not take well. As I became more of an experienced athlete, I realized I gained more from losing than I ever did from winning. Facing defeat has helped me deal with failure and has also molded me into a tougher person, which has given me the motivation to do better.

The many failures that I have endured in sports has led me to become more perseverant and resilient. Further, failure in the world of sports did not purely act as testimony on my ability to become better in my various events, but has also reflected on my everyday behavior. As the lessons I took from my mistakes have helped me better my judgment in the real world, enabling me to pursue my dreams with intent and not react to recurring setbacks. Hence,  why I will always abide by the quote:  “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure” as motivation to my success.