Success

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant

James and his mother developed a close bond Many people across the nation, since they had to rely on each other when specifically in his home state Ohio, consider LeBron James a success story. Although it may challenges arose. Nevertheless, James persisted seem like everything comes naturally to James, with basketball by practicing and playing throughout his childhood. he had to put in the work. Long before the James’s persistence held strong historic 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron spent his throughout his professional career as well. He childhood moving from home to home has dedicated his life to basketball, and it has struggling to find stability in his life (Jenkins).

Basketball gave James the courage and stability undoubtedly paid off. James has heaps of awards and recognition for his activities. He has won he needed in his life, and has since provided him with luxuries his childhood self would have the MVP award four times, the Finals MVP three times, and All-Star MVP three times never dreamed of. However, his professional (“LeBron James”). These awards did not come career has not always been easy for him either. without hard work, though. LeBron has spent When James announced his decision to leave countless hours inside gyms perfecting his his home team and Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat, he faced intense backlash. Prior to offensive and defensive skills. Even at 33, an age this controversial departure to the Miami Heat, when most athletes consider retirement, LeBron continues to shine on the court.

James played with his home team for seven Despite all the hardships LeBron James has had seasons (“LeBron’s Time”). After returning to to endure, he continues to prevail as arguably the Cavaliers and facing a loss in the finals, one of the best professional basketball player to James spent a month doing three-a-days as ever hit the court. When asked if he ever needs pre-training for the upcoming season to remind himself that he is the best, LeBron (“LeBron’s Time”). In order to become one of smiled greatly, and said “No.” (“LeBrons the greats in basketball, LeBron James had to Time”). overcome many hardships in his life, and dedicate his life to the sport.

Often times, successful athletes come from difficult childhoods, James included. As a child, James grew up in Akron, Ohio, with his mother. They rarely stayed in a house for long, and often relied on others for assistance with housing or food. Basketball existed as the one activity that kept James focused and determined despite the hardships he faced.

Photo by Rob Foldy

LeBron’s Success.

An Interview with a Star.

The following excerpt comes from an interview about music and success conducted by Iris Carlson with Nicholas DeVito, a high school senior from Chagrin Falls. Nick plays an instrument for multiple bands.

What instrument do you currently play, and with what groups do you play with?

I currently play the oboe and I play with the Chagrin Falls High school, and with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra.

When did you start playing your instrument, and when did you start taking it seriously?

I started playing in fifth grade with my band class. I think I’ve always taken it seriously, even in fifth grade.

How much time do you put into your music, and what do you do?

Quite a bit. I’d say one to two hours a day with rehearsals with the band. I also give lessons weekly in addition to the rehearsals I have at the high school and with my other group.

Do you ever not want to practice your instrument?

I usually don’t like practicing alone, so sometimes I have to force myself to play.

What do you personally believe contributes to one’s success?

I think happiness and healthy relationships play a strong role in someone’s success, especially with music.

Photo by Jean Kanzinger

Off the court, Williams has received praise for Few people consider tennis a common sport in the United States. It rarely has the same speaking out on issues like race. As a strong, African American woman she has faced her viewing levels as the classic American sports, such as football or basketball. Despite this, most share of harsh comments, but she takes them in stride and attempts to overcome them. This has Americans would recognize the name Serena also lead to her success outside of the court.

Williams. How has Williams obtained such With an attitude as strong as hers, her success high levels of success? While it proves hard to does not come as a surprise. pinpoint one exact reason, her unwavering Despite verbal attacks, illnesses, injuries, dedication and her fierce attitude has lead her to age, and other hardships, Serena Williams success she could have never imagined. continues to prove herself as an incredible Serena Williams has an impressive record. She has won 74 million dollars in prize athlete and person. She would not have the money, received the Sports Illustrated Person of success she does if she did not love tennis, and the Year, and constantly garners the approval of try her hardest to put in time and effort into her craft.

A-list celebrities, including Barack Obama (“Serena Williams”). Of course, like every great athlete, she has seen her fair share of challenges.

She has fought illness and injuries like a true warrior; once she continued to win a match after throwing up during it. Few people have the dedication that Williams possesses, and few people have the success that she has. The numbers prove the dedication. One cannot win 23 career Grand Slams without putting in copious amounts of time and effort into the sport. Even great athletes around her recognize her immense dedication to the sport. Chris Evert mentioned that Serena proved “‘different from everybody else’” (“Serena Williams”). This could not prove more accurate. Few young athletes can do what Serena does, and yet at 36 she continuously surprises the world. This dedication makes Serena Williams unique and unstoppable, a golden combination.

Both on and off the court, people know Serena for her fierce attitude. Her forever famous chants and cheers on the court reaches ears across the world. Physically, people Photo by Mike Stobe comment about her immense strength and athletic ability, but her attitude has proved equally as powerful. ​The

Unstoppable Serena.

Ask Iris.

You ask. She answers with unmatched expertise.

Dear Iris I recently have felt discouraged and unmotivated at my job. Everyday, I go to the same boring place, and do the same boring things. I do not work hard, and I often miss deadlines. My boss has started to notice my lack of effort, but I cannot seem to put the effort in.

It saddens me to think that I have left myself go this far, but I just cannot seem to enjoy my job.

What do you recommend?

-Hardly Working

Dear Hardly Working, It seems clear to me that you do not love what you do, nor do what you love. If you truly enjoyed the work you did, it would seem easy to put in the work. In order for you to have success in your job -- and life in general -- you must love what you do. If your work makes you feel sad or bored, you will never reach success. You must discover your passion, and implement it into your daily life. Do not feel afraid to step out of your comfort zone. It might seem scary at first, but if you desire a successful career, you must love what you do.

Dear Iris, I currently attend the college of my dreams on a full scholarship for my favorite sport. Well, former favorite sport. Since I was 4 years old, I have played baseball competitively.

Throughout middle school and high school, I would play for multiple hours every single day.

It challenged me daily, but I loved it. Balancing my responsibilities proved tough, but baseball existed as a place to get my mind off things.

Now, however, I cannot think of anything worse than playing baseball. I hate to admit it, but I have started skipping practices and playing less and less. I hate the sport, the practice, and everything that comes with it. I want to focus on my studies, and not this horrible sport.

-Swing and a Miss

Dear Swing and a Miss, I have so often heard these stories of how college ruined a sport for some people.

However depressing that sounds, it seems to happen to many students. I send my apologies your way, as it disheartens me to see something once so cherished destroyed. As far as recommendations, I am a huge advocate for doing what makes you happy. Obviously, baseball does not make you happy. Your letter does not make it clear as to whether or not something keeps you from quitting, but I recommend doing what makes you happy. In my opinion, you will never have a successful baseball career with this attitude. Because you hate the sport, you already have stopped trying and caring. This will hinder your ability to achieve success in your athletic career. If it really makes you this unhappy, you cannot continue playing. You will only hurt yourself and your team in the process.

A letter to the editor.

To the editor:

I am writing you today in regards to the recent discussion of whether or not LeBron James deserves the title of the greatest player of all time. I know much debate occurs over this topic, so I could not resist sending in my thoughts. As a lifelong Cleveland fan, I could not think any higher of LeBron James. He has done more for this city than many other athletes have ever done. The 2016 NBA Finals championship revived Cleveland like nothing before. Living through many horrendous Browns seasons, an actual win came as a pleasant change of pace. While LeBron should not receive sole credit for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ success, I think we owe him a great thank you for the efforts he made. Furthermore, his ability to play as well as he has played at an age where most athletes consider retirement should not go unnoticed. Athletes have limited time to make themselves known and for others to consider them successful (“Michael Jordan Heads”). Despite this, LeBron has continuously proved himself as one of the greats.

Because of this, I think that it only seems fair to recognize LeBron James as the greatest player of all time. How many players have done what LeBron has done? Of course, Michael Jordan receives most of the recognition for his talents, but how can one say that James has not reached the same level? When it comes to talent, often times people believe that you cannot compare the greats.

When looking at those statistics, one can clearly see the challenge those who compare them face.

James and Jordan have very similar statistics. They both cleary have dedicated a lot of their life to basketball. James has played in 94 percent of his games, while Jordan appeared in 92 percent of his games (​ESPN​). This may surprise non-basketball fans, but when a team plays 82 games in a season, 94 percent exists as a large amount of games. When viewing the rest of the statistics available, James and Jordan trade off with who has the higher achievements. James logs more minutes, Jordan has more points, James tackles more rebounds, and so on and so forth. If you want compare strictly numbers, good luck. Every time you think James will take the lead, Jordan will prove himself better, and vice versa. Therefore, you have to look elsewhere.

I think that Lebron has unmatched leaderships skills which in turn makes him a better overall player. He has dedication like few other professional athletes. He undoubtedly loves the game, and it shows when he plays. I encourage you to think of another player with the energy, passion, dedication, and success that LeBron James possesses. If you cannot, then I hope you agree with my statement; LeBron James exists as the greatest basketball player of all time. I apologize for the lengthy letter, but I feel strongly about this debate, and I felt I had to support LeBron James in the same way he supports my city.

About the Author.

Iris Carlson currently

resides in Chagrin Falls, with her

mother and father. She attends

Chagrin Falls High School as a

junior. At 16 years old, Iris

currently works at Master Pizza a

few days a week.

Throughout Iris’ life,

she has achieved many

accomplishments. In the

eighth grade, she won the

Student of the Year award for

her favorite class, math. Because

Iris enjoyed the subject so

much, she spent many hours

studying and practicing so that

she could reach success in that

class. Later, during her sophomore year of high school, Iris helped start the first ever girls golf team.

Along with her two best friends and coach, Iris helped start the program. She loves golfing with her friends in the warm weather during the summer. Playing golf never feels like a burden, so she practices often with her friends. Thus, in her second year of golf, Iris received a varsity letter for her efforts. In addition to her studies and sports, Iris also enjoys playing music. She plays percussion the Chagrin Falls Concert Band, and the bass drum in the Chagrin Falls Marching Band. As the marching band season approaches, Iris spends an hour a day practicing her music. The best time of the year for Iris and her friends comes with the marching band season. Iris works hard on her music, and as a junior she lead the bass drum section. Iris does not mind putting in the time and effort into the activities she enjoys.

As Iris became older, she started to understand the need for money. She felt tired of feeling a burden on her parents for constantly asking her parents for money, so her sophomore year she applied for a job. She currently works at Master Pizza, and has worked there for over a year. She enjoys working with the friends she has made at work, and she has learned the responsibility of keeping a job. She usually works three days a week, but sometimes she works more. Learning to balance school and a job seemed difficult at first, but Iris quickly learned how to manage her time.

Now that she has her own job, Iris pays for many items by herself. She no longer has to worry about asking her parents for money, since she can provide for herself.

Iris has received many achievements in her life, and she attributes them to her passion for the subjects. She also understands that life comes with responsibility, and she has taken the necessary means to ensure that she can provide for herself now, and later in life.

Works Cited ​ESPN​. www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21318089/where-michael-jordan-lebron-james-stack-1072 nd-career-game.

Foldy, Rob. ​Cleveland Cavaliers v Miami Heat​. Jpg file.

Garrabrant, Jesse D. ​Cleveland Cavilers v New York Knicks​. Jpg file.

Jenkins, Lee. “Lebron James.” ​Sports Illustrated​.

“Lebron’s Time.” ​Sports Illustrated​.

Kanzinger, Jean. ​Untitled​. Digital file.

“LeBron James.” ​ESPN​, www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james.

“Michael Jordan Heads the Highest-Paid Athletes of All-Time with $1.7 Billion.” ​Forbes​, www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2016/12/06/michael-jordan-heads-the-highest-pa id-athletes-of-all-time-with-1-7-billion/#687af4951f1d.

“Serena Williams.” ​Sports Illustrated​.

Stobe, Mike. ​US Open 2015 - Day 5​. Jpg file.

Varga, Mary Kate. ​Untitled​. Digital file.