<p>Just some backstory: I'm applying as a transfer to Umass Amherst for Kinesiology. I heard it's best to focus on why you want to choose your major in the essay so It's mostly focused on why I want a career in physical fitness. I also did kinda shitty my freshman year so I wanted to explain that as well and why I improved my sophomore year. Also It's a little too long so if anyone has any advice on how I could trim it down that would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. - John F. Kennedy</p>
<pre><code>On the day of my high school graduation in 2012, I sat in a white fold up chair in my cap and gown, waiting for my name to be called to receive my diploma. I watched as my friends and fellow graduates glowed with excitement as their names were called, ready to move on to the next chapter of their lives. Meanwhile, during what should have been a thrilling experience for me, I was having intense feelings of regret while reflecting on the mistakes I made in high school.
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<p>Throughout most of my life I’ve considered myself an athlete. I grew up playing baseball, basketball, lacrosse and football; But once I got into highschool my passion for sports and physical fitness took a back seat to my social life. My grades began to drop and my athletic aspirations vanished, as I became more concerned with who was throwing the next big party. By the time I graduated, I felt as though my identity as an athlete had completely diminished to nothing, along with my passion for physical fitness.
During my freshman year of college I suffered from an identity crisis. I wasn’t passionate about anything I was doing and I was unsure of what I stood for. I commuted to the University of Massachusetts Boston and worked long hours at my job at a local restaurant. School was difficult for me due to my lack of motivation. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do or why I was even there. It wasn’t until the summer following my freshman year that my friend Dave helped me rediscover my passion for sports and physical fitness.
One night in July of that summer, I went to Dave’s house and walked in on him watching television. I sat next to him on the couch and asked him what he was watching. He explained to me that it was the Crossfit Games, a physical fitness competition where athletes have to complete extremely difficult, constantly varied workouts for time. For the next couple of hours I was hooked as I watched men and women lift hundred of pounds at blazingly fast speeds. Towards the end of the competition Dave turned to me and said “You know, we should try this. We need to get on these guy’s level”. The next day, Dave and I started building a gym in his basement.
From that point on health and physical fitness became an essential part of my identity. I began working out at Dave’s regularly and improving my diet. For the first time in years I felt like an athlete. I came to realize that many of my problems in high school stemmed from a constant avoidance of hard work. Physical fitness helped show me a direct relationship between consistent hard work and progress. The work ethic that fitness instilled in me began carrying over to other aspects of my life. School became easier my sophomore year, as I began to approach it with the same determination that I had towards finishing a workout.
It became clear to me that a job in health and physical fitness was what I wanted to pursue; Whether it’s a job helping someone regain their ability to be physically active after an injury, or helping an elite athlete get even stronger. Today I look back on the regrets I have in high school as a reminder to not let my social life or avoidance of hard work get in the way of what I’m passionate about. I’m still not on the same level as Crossfit Games athletes, but with the knowledge I’d gain from earning a degree in Kinesiology I hope to get there one day, as well as help others get there too. </p>