I Believe
By: Brianna Cotter

As I started getting older, I started to enjoy dance more and more. With my interest growing I decided to try competing. I was always aiming for first place, and at just about every competition I placed in the top ten. Even with all the other amazingly talented dancers there. I never thought this experience would help later in life especially in school.

I believe competition can help children grow-up and mature. Competition has helped me achieve my goals in life. When I was competing I was always trying to land in the top spot. I have carried that skill over and now set different goals for myself. I never imagined using skills I had learned from dance competition would help me reach one of my goals of becoming a student at Mount St. Charles.

Competition has also taught me that I can’t have everything. From that I have learned how to make sacrifices. For example, it’s hard to make a friend and then have to remember you’re competitor. On the inside she’s probably looking to crush you at the awards. It’s like something inside me just doesn’t feel right when I know I’ll be my new friend’s rival. It’s a sacrifice I’ve learned to make, and it’s taught me I can’t have the best of both worlds.

I also come to realize that I can never get away from competition now. It pops up all over the place. For example, I took the honors test last year which was a competition to see who did the best, and the top finishers got into honors. It’s similar to finishing top ten in a competition because not everyone that’s competing is going to win. . Another type of competition I will soon be facing is what colleges I get into. I’m sure many people will be applying to get into the same college I want to go to, but only a handful will be accepted. It will be a tight race. Competition doesn’t occur only in sports or extra-curricular activities. It can happen when you’re least expecting it. Competition plays a very strong role in all aspects of life when reaching one’s goals.


Competition in children can help prepare them for the real world. It has prepared me in ways I would have never expected. With competition popping up all over the place, a little experience under someone’s belt can’t hurt, but prepare us for what it has in store. I believe competition has matured me in ways I can’t even describe.