A PERSON THAT I ADMIRE

Throughout my elementary years in Fiji, I was like no ordinary kid. Academically, I was an
average student. I was a chubby kid with low self-esteem, which discouraged me from achieving
good marks in school, partly because I had the fear of speaking my mind. To top things off,
things were even worse in P.E.
I always tried to hide when my classmates picked teams for sports because I felt so
uncomfortable. When we played soccer or kickball, I always seemed to stumble in front of my
classmates, which would automatically make me look like a buffoon. I thought I was horrible at
physical activities, without making attempts to try and lacked confidence around my peers. I
began to avoid raising my hand when questions were being asked, even when I was capable of
answering the questions.
My sixth grade year started off just the same. However, when soccer season started,
everything changed when I encountered the person I admire the most; the person to whom I
attribute my success as an athlete and now have belief in myself. He recognized a hidden talent
in me and encouraged me to develop it. That person was my sixth grade P.E. instructor, Coach
Singh.
One afternoon, during P.E., Coach Singh leads us to the field and divided us into groups
for scrimmage. He started talking, and the first thing I noticed was that he spoke with dignity and
respect. As he spoke, I started paying more attention to how teamwork is such an important
element for the soccer. He also noticed how I would become hesitant at times when we began to
play different activities. Every time he would utter, "Remember, do your best because your
teammates need you," and he always seemed to be talking directly to me!