While the temptation to hit the snooze bar at 4:30 a.m. would be difficult to resist for even the most disciplined early-bird, my father never flinches at answering the bell at what many consider the middle of the night. The astonishing fact is not so much the time he rises but the reason behind it. My father runs and lift weights every morning before work. At forty-nine many men have given in to the middle age spread and consider it to be inevitable. But my father portrays an excellent example of the importance of being both sound of mind and body. He sacrifices his sleep time to work out so he can spend quality time in the evening with his family, after a long demanding day of work.
             This positive attitude that my dad has portrayed has been a positive impact on my life. He has taught me many lessons in my life. The biggest lesson learned is that nothing comes easy, not school, not work and not athletics. My father has inspired me to do my best in all of my activities. I feel that I can relate my life on a lower level with his on a higher level. Our views on work ethic and athletics are closely tied together. My father always told me that once a quitter always a quitter. Being a Varsity wrestler and football player, those words inspired me to always to obtain my goals no matter the obstacles standing in my way. I believe a person that quits a sport or drops a difficult class in high school will do the same when a difficult task is in front of him in the real world.
             My father has guided me to be myself and not to live my life as a follower, but to be a leader. As a senior football captain, my leadership must be great. Many young teammates look up to me as a student and athlete. For me to provide poor leadership would be a disappointment to them and to myself. Encouraging others to be better makes one also want to do better. The satisfaction of knowing that others look up to me give me more determination to do my best. Competiti
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