- 2019 Highlights
Personal Statement
I began my athletic journey as a basketball player in 5th grade. My coaches in junior high school knew I had speed and encouraged me to join the track team.
I had never run track before but once I did, I realized that I enjoyed the process of running and competing. I had a lot of success in track and field in junior high. After that first school season of track, I decided to pursue running more seriously so I joined the Track Houston Track Club in the summer where I qualified for Junior Olympics in the 4x400m that first year. Placing 9th at Junior Olympics in Florida was one of the most memorable moments of my track career. Making my high school’s varsity track team, a year and a half later as a freshman, also influenced me to pursue track further and focus on my strength training.
Through competing in sports, I have learned the value of hard work, focus, teamwork, and dedication. Being a varsity athlete has also taught me how manage my time, how to make healthy eating choices and the importance of mental strength in the face of adversity .
In my sophomore year, I made the girls varsity basketball team. Making that varsity team had been a dream of mine since the 5th grade and I was very proud that I had achieved that goal. I finished out the season successfully but made the difficult decision to focus my athletic ambitions solely on track. Basketball had been my first love and it broke my heart to say goodbye to it, but I knew that it was the right decision for what was my new future goal. I learned that I had to be willing to make choices and sacrifices to pursue my love of running.
Through high school, I hope to maintain and/or raise my current GPA while focusing on more rigorous athletic training and reduce my time in the 400m and possibly 200m and 800m. In college, I hope to major in business.
I believe that I am extremely coachable, calm under pressure, and very disciplined. Playing multiple sports for many years now and two varsity sports in my sophomore year, I know what it takes to be a successful student-athlete and hope to continue this journey through college.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me.
Sincerely,
Yasmine Steele
