There are several fantastic articles in this magazine; however, the poem “Worth It,” by AlleaBelle Gongola tremendously stood out to me. The poem as a whole discusses all the effort put into succeeding in a sport, and questions if dedicating one’s self to all that comes with success in the field is worth it. All of the difficulties faced while trying to be adept in a sport, in my opinion, pay off. I can personally relate to the author, for I am a tennis player, and have been dedicating a great portion of my life to the sport, and all that comes with being the best I can very be. (This includes practices before school, driving and flying tremendous distances to tournaments, dragging my racquet along with me on every vacation, having fitness classes, a strict diet, and less time to hang out with friends.) However, the feeling of not only winning, but succeeding in a certain area, such as achieving a great speed on a serve or hitting a slice that you know no person will run fast enough to return, is extremely rewarding. One comes to realize, after a while, that all the hard work is not just something to keep you busy, but all steps necessary to take in order to be the best.

It’s better to know that you gave it your all, and win, than to know you had slacked in a certain area, and therefore lost. Overall, I was able to make a tremendous personal connection with the writer of this poem, and I believe it greatly summarizes an athlete’s mindset.