An Analysis of the Importance of Mathematics in Everyday Life in School Subjects

My first experiences with Mathematics began as a young boy when my mother, Dona Martin, taught me to count from one to ten. I began counting fingers, then toes, until ten was a distant accomplishment and larger numbers were becoming my perspectives. It seemed that learning to count and use numbers was easier for me than learning how to read and write. I have struggled with those two subjects all my life, but math just came to me. Math was the only subject in elementary school that I could really apply myself to and find some sense of achievement.

My early interest in math is the one thing that has stuck with me throughout my education and has laid the foundation for my future.

Although I always liked math the most out of all my subjects in school, I never imagined it as my choice of major in college. In fact, I was not really a student who enjoyed school at all. Some might even say that I despised it. I was just one of those kids who hated getting up in the mornings, and school wasn't a compelling reason. I could have thought of a hundred things I would have rather been doing with my time instead of learning. However, my parents' support and persistence kept my nose to the grindstone. Looking back at those days and being where I am now in my life, striving to become a great mathematician, I have come full circle.

Throughout my high school career, there was one person who genuinely inspired me and gave me the drive that has brought me to college. While many students might acknowledge their favorite math teacher or a caring parent, my inspiration was less obvious: my head football coach, Coach Whisman. He coached me for four years and showed me that math can be essential in contexts other than books or equations. Apart from being my football coach, he was also my high school math teacher. He made math enjoyable, especially when he integrated it with football, which was something very important to me.

As an assistant football coach at the local high school these days, I've found myself reflecting back on some of the mathematical strategies that he used to perfect a play. Consider a football player with no background in math and place him on the field. Where will he be? He'll likely be running the wrong way or lying at the bottom of a tackle pile simply because he can't understand the plays. The idea of football and math working together might sound absurd to some people, but they really do complement each other.

One other thing I can relate to math is tutoring kids at the high school. This has become a pastime for me recently. In doing this, I have noticed myself using some of the same techniques that my coach used to get me motivated. The kids seem more interested if you bring the subject of math down to a level where they can grasp the concept and apply it to something enjoyable. Math is a hard subject for a lot of people to acquire, and I have realized through my own personal experiences that if you make it fun and interesting in the way that Coach Whisman did, you can actually motivate a person to learn. I now realize all those long hours of homework that seemed so senseless have paid off. I enjoy my major and I find myself interested in learning all that I can so I can pass on my knowledge and experience to others who may have had or have the same attitude that I did in high school.

Mathematics is an ongoing and ever-changing subject. Math was used by the first civilization of people and will continue to be used as long as the earth still rotates. If you think about it, everything you do, not just football, requires some mathematical thought. How much money can I afford to spend? What is my total cost of living? How many miles can a car run per gallon of gas, or how many pieces of chicken should I get from the store to feed the family tonight? These are just a few of the questions that people think about which revolve so strongly around math. Most people don't even realize it. Math is so crucial to survival if you just step back and look at the bigger picture. Math is a subject that everyone already knows and uses. We as mathematicians just need to expand our thoughts, ideas and the ideas of others. Great minds have brought this country to where it is today, and I know civilization did not come this far without using math as a tool. So, as you can see, Math is a subject that will continue to flourish and bring our country and world to a greater understanding of life. The day that there is an end to math will be the day that there will be an end to mankind as we know it.

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