By Angel Pineda
It was always a dream of mine to play in a sports team in high school, especially the Varsity team. However, having asthma was one of the biggest challenges I needed to overcome in order to accomplish my dream.
I wasn’t in the best of shape entering high school. All my friends made the JV football and soccer team. I kept making up excuses for why I wouldn’t try out for any of the sports teams. When my friends would ask me why I don’t try out for the team, I always answered saying that I didn’t have cleats and that I have asthma. I feared doing anything that involved me working out because my aunt had passed away from an asthma attack when I was only ten years old.
On top of that I was not in shape and I had no experience when it came to sports. I kept telling myself that I can’t do it. I hated P.E., it felt like hell entering the locker room when I had to change out.
My mile time was fifteen minutes and I had to make it under twelve. I was the slowest in my P.E. class.
But then I had found out that one of my professional soccer idols, David Beckham, had asthma. This gave me faith.
Ending my sophomore year I set a goal for myself because I knew it was possible. I told myself I was going to be in shape, join the soccer team, and the football team.
It was always a dream of mine to play in a sports team in high school, especially the Varsity team. However, having asthma was one of the biggest challenges I needed to overcome in order to accomplish my dream.
I wasn’t in the best of shape entering high school. All my friends made the JV football and soccer team. I kept making up excuses for why I wouldn’t try out for any of the sports teams. When my friends would ask me why I don’t try out for the team, I always answered saying that I didn’t have cleats and that I have asthma. I feared doing anything that involved me working out because my aunt had passed away from an asthma attack when I was only ten years old.
On top of that I was not in shape and I had no experience when it came to sports. I kept telling myself that I can’t do it. I hated P.E., it felt like hell entering the locker room when I had to change out.
My mile time was fifteen minutes and I had to make it under twelve. I was the slowest in my P.E. class.
But then I had found out that one of my professional soccer idols, David Beckham, had asthma. This gave me faith.
Ending my sophomore year I set a goal for myself because I knew it was possible. I told myself I was going to be in shape, join the soccer team, and the football team.
I would go to the gym daily and I would start seeing improvements. Then I made the team for both varsity football and soccer team my junior year. I had no experience, so I didn’t have a starting position at the time.
In my senior year, I got in much better shape and became the starting safety, kick returner, and was in kick off; I hope to get a starting position in soccer as well, as the pre-season is barely starting this year. I will make the best out of this year in terms of achieving the goals I have set.
Playing sports really helped better my breathing. Although it’s still hard to breathe sometimes, I push through it and I breathe through it.
In my senior year, I got in much better shape and became the starting safety, kick returner, and was in kick off; I hope to get a starting position in soccer as well, as the pre-season is barely starting this year. I will make the best out of this year in terms of achieving the goals I have set.
Playing sports really helped better my breathing. Although it’s still hard to breathe sometimes, I push through it and I breathe through it.