Sports Reject Turned Journalist

If you asked anyone in Flushing High School to describe me in one word, “athletic”

would never make the list. I always walked the school’s hallways in bright colored clothes, with my hair neatly tucked in place. I never wore sneakers or sweat pants aside from the gym class requirement, I was the epitome of a “girly girl.”

“Sha I could never imagine you in uniform, sweating on the field running laps. That would be a sight to see,” my friend said to me with a chuckle. Despite my girly ways, I have always wanted to be apart of a team and loved a good challenge. Truthfully, sports were never my thing but I was determined to break away from the “girly girl” image everyone associated me with.

I then considered what teams I could try out for. I did not have the height for Basketball,

and Volleyball was not my forte. My school did not have a Badminton team because I would surely have been on it. So I went with softball. I put on my gym uniform and jogged into the gym to warm up with the other girls. I was completely out of my comfort zone, but I was determined to make the team.

I gripped the bat and got into position before the ball came spiraling towards me. I swung

with all my might, sending the ball flying across the room. I was proud of myself as I ran the makeshift bases with no outs, finally running “home”.

Unfortunately, that pride and excitement would be short lived. The tryout roster was

posted the next day and my name was not on it. The coach approached me and her next words, I never would have imagined, she suggested that I consider joining the team in another way, possibly managing it.

My chance to turn disappointment into an unforeseen and continuous victory.

I declined the offer but it certainly sparked an idea for me, away to be apart of the sport and not have to "get dirty." I begin speaking with some student athletes about team - school balance and their accomplishments. As I fostered connections with the students upon entering their hectic student athlete lives, I realized they had stories to tell. It was then that I decided to shine a light on these hardworking student athletes by collecting and publishing their stories. Quickly and in collaboration with students across New York City, “Behind the Sport” was born.

“Behind the Sport”, changed my life drastically. My quest to break away from the

solitary image that my peers had of me turned into a movement that enabled me to help others do the same.

By the end of the season I interviewed numerous students from high schools all over the city that played sports other than softball. My column was widely read and talked about, and I began to have more interview request then I had time to fulfill them.

Stepping out of my comfort zone and trying to defy the odds may not have landed me a position on the team, but it did lead me to a career I will forever cherish.

defy the odds may not have landed me a position on the team, but it did lead me to a career I will forever cherish.