<p>Hi, I’m currently applying for UC. I wrote my essay for the second prompt about tennis. . . But I don’t know if I should rewrite it or not. It seems to be really generic :/</p>
<p>All feedback is welcome!</p>
<p>With a fire burning in my heart, I decided to sacrifice what should have been a relaxing sophomore summer to focus entirely on tennis, and hopefully, make the Varsity team. Now, this was a bad idea for a multitude of reasons. For one, I have never been the most athletic person. With my weak 90 lb body and puny five feet height, most people agreed that my strengths lied in academics, not in athletics. Also, the tennis team was the strongest it had been in years. The previous year, they were Pioneer League Champions and an influx of high-performing freshman only strengthened the team. My chances of making the Varsity team were slim at best, and nil at expected. Everything I was to do was to be tested that day, and I knew it. </p>
<p>Yet I was determined to obtain the coveted title of Varsity Doubles Starter. Over the course of my sophomore year, I watched as Varsity triumphed over their opponents. Their beautiful strokes, footwork, and fortitude in the face of pressure made me envious, and suddenly, I was gripped with the unshakable desire to play as a Varsity starter. And for the sake of that goal, I practiced tennis an exhausting five times a week, four hours a day all summer. At first, my play was embarrassing; I was well below the level of everyone at the lessons. But after weeks of backbreaking effort, I steadily improved and found myself amazed at the shots I could hit. My tennis teacher, who originally was disgruntled whenever I played in front of him, marveled at how smooth my forehand had become. Maybe I was ready, I told myself.</p>
<p>Finally, the tryout day arrived. The months of training, the painstaking motions of perfecting my strokes, and worst of all, waking up early every day – the fruits of my labor were to be evaluated that day. Would I make it? Or would all my struggles be for nothing? The coach called me to play a tiebreaker with a Varsity starter. My pulse quickened as I thought, This is it. This is when you prove yourself. </p>
<p>Fifteen minutes later, the score was 10-7. I was ecstatic and went on to play the rest of my games beautifully. When the coach told me that I had noticeably improved, and that I should consider attending South High Schools Varsity camp that summer, I was on cloud nine. I had never struggled so hard for something before, and to achieve my goal while knowing that it was 100% due to my own efforts was the greatest feeling in the world. I learned the value of hard work that year, and my determination to be even better in tennis strengthened tenfold.</p>