The Silence of the National Anthem

I think my favorite part of a soccer game would be the National Anthem played at the beginning. Although it's mostly considered the one part of a two hour activity that could be cut in order to get us home before 10 on a school night, I would like to disagree.

No, I don't think that a girls highschool soccer game in Northeast Ohio is played in order to honor one's country. And I don't pretend to take it that seriously. However, I think the National Anthem serves a purpose each time its played as the men take their caps off. For me, it pumps me up. Standing there with my team, staring at the flag and humming under my breath, I silently prepare for my game. It gives me those 90 seconds to think for myself, without the constant stream of voices from my coaches, teammates, and parents. Its the time I take to breathe. In 90 seconds, I look ahead at the next 80 minutes of soccer I have to play, and think, I can do this.

So clearly, to me the National Anthem is not about the quality of song. Whether its a tape recording or the entire Cleveland Orchestra strumming along, I think regardless. And so, when a singer tries to make the National Anthem about them, I get annoyed. At the championship March Madness game between Kansas and Kentucky, The Fray sang the National Anthem for two college basketball teams, their coaches and staff, and a completely sold out arena. When I watched this video (linked below), I was floored by their confidence to think that they could rewrite the National Anthem, a song sung since 1889, and somehow think they could make it better. Although I am a huge fan of The Fray, I was definitely disappointed by their over-complication of a song beautiful for its simplicity. At best, I would call this a mosquito-like distraction to an otherwise exciting game.

The Fray National Anthem

How to Use Sports to Get into College... Besides Playing Them

To you, this title may seem contradictory. How can you use sports to get into college without playing them when you get there? Yes, the obvious, number one way to get into college using your sport is by being recruited to play at said-school. But what about the rest of us? What about those of us who don’t really want to play a varsity sport in college (which is a whole other issue of itself, or a whole other blog…)? What do we do?

Well, I’ve been thinking about the answer to this question ever since I decided that I didn’t want to be an Olympic soccer player after freshmen year (because like all young athletes, I wanted to be a super star, a professional soccer player. I mean, what little kid, who likes sports, wouldn’t want to be made rich and famous by simply playing them?). Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with…

Firstly, just having a four-year commitment of any kind on a college application shows dedication and passion. Playing your favorite sport, and sticking with it even when your high school courses give you ten pounds of homework each night (for homework might as well be measured by how heavy it makes your backpack), shows a college that you persevered and are not a quitter. Also, you indicate that you are involved in your school community by merely having four years of a sport on your application.

If you are a captain of your team, you are exemplifying leadership qualities (which we have been told, from day one, is what colleges want to see. I mean, how many times have my parents tried to convince me to become class president? Numerous times. Even when I tell them that our school doesn’t really have class presidents? Still, they continue to insist I start my campaign). However, if you are not the leading sort, or simply because not every upperclassman on the team can be captain (as much as you all want to be), do not fret. For I have a couple more ideas up my sleeve.

If you like to write, you could write for your school newspaper’s sports sections. You’d get to show colleges your passion for the game through writing, and also add an academic extra-curricular to your app. Well done!

And lastly, for those of you who don’t like to write, well, you’re going to have to. Those daunting college essays that you have been dreading to write need to be finished, and you’re not sure where to start. What could you write about that shows a college who you are, but also makes you look good as well? Write about your sport! Tell them the lessons you’ve learned about the importance of teamwork and giving your best effort in every game, match, or meet.

No matter what your angle, there’s always a way to make your high school sport season worth the time and energy that it takes to compete.