@intparent, thank you, and indeed I’ll likely PM you one day on this, but that day is (thankfully!) a ways off.
@Patsfan5x, prior to doing a bit of online research, including CC, re essay writing, I was naive enough to think a well-written sports story essay would actually “wow” an AO. Now, I totally get it that they’ve likely seen several hundred too many such essays.
The tricky thing to me, however, is what does one tell a kid who’s personal best story IS his/her sports story? On one hand, we say, and I think rightly, the essay is your chance to tell your story. Be yourself. Be true. Be honest. OTOH, we tell them to avoid cliches…