USA Today is looking for an inspirational athlete to participate in the The National Guard Inspiration Contest. The submission period ends at 12 PM on Friday, March 14.

But before you nominate yourself or your friend, you need to answer one question: What is inspiration?

Merriam-Webster says that inspiration is “something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create: a force or influence that inspires someone.” But what really is inspiration to us?

Many people believe that inspiration is the encouragement from others to reach your true potential.

There are many people that inspire us today. It could be your teammates, captains, friends, or family. Each one inspires us in their own ways.

This contest first will collect all of the accounts submitted and narrow them down into seven sections, depending on the amount of applications they receive.

After that, they have three more rounds. These rounds consist of regional, semifinals, and finals.

During these three rounds, readers can look at the applications and vote for who they think is the most inspirational.

The winner of this competition will get a USA Today High School Sports feature article, receive the Inspiration Trophy at an in-school presentation and have $1,000 donated to their school’s athletic department.

To participate in this contest, you need to be 13 years or older and play in a JV or Varsity sport.

So, if you know an inspirational athlete, or if you believe that you are inspirational, then sign up for the contest via the link below. You don’t want to miss this great opportunity!

http://socialhub.usatodayhss.com/inspiration-submission