I started playing sports when I was eight. After failed attempts at dance and gymnastics, my parents decided to let me give sports a try. They put me in basketball and softball, and I quickly fell in love with sports. I played softball until I was thirteen, then I decided to fully commit to basketball. I played travel ball as well as for my school teams. I did this for nine years. Through those nine years of playing sports, I learned valuable lessons that have made me the person I am today. These are lessons and traits that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Respect.
It amazes me how many people my age have little to no respect for authority or each other. When an authority figure tells me to do something, I do it without question. My coaches made me learn this lesson the hard way. You didn’t ask questions when your coach told you to do something, and you especially didn’t do the opposite of what they said. If you did, you’d find yourself on the baseline, running sprints until they thought you had learned your lesson. Maybe if professors punished us by making us run laps every time we turn in an assignment late, more people will do what they’re asked, when they’re asked.
Respecting other people is a trait that’s hard to follow. Some people don’t deserve respect, and that’s fine. However, you have to respect your teammates in order to win. One day you’re probably going to be in a situation where you’ll need to work with a team. It’s important that you have enough respect for them in order to work together and get shit done.
Time management.
If you didn’t learn time management before college, I’m sorry. College demands time management. You’ll more than likely have two projects, a paper, and a test on the same day. Learning to manage your time is the only way you’ll survive.
In school, if you’re playing sports and still trying to manage your A/B average, you’re forced to learn time management. So I was taught from an early age about time management. I had to study for a math test, do a science project, and write a paper, all while traveling two hours to an away game. I was also taught that when something has a due date, you turn it in on the due date. There are no excuses. No one cares how busy you are. You have to learn to manage your time if you want to survive in the world.
Hard work.
If you want something, you have to work for it. Nothing comes easy in life. Practices were rarely ever easy. Going out everyday and working hard at practices, and in games, gave me the strong work ethic I have now.
Attitude.
It’s no secret that I don’t like to lose. I’m competitive. Even if it’s just a board game, I want to win, and I’ll do whatever it takes to win. However, in the words of Aerosmith: “you have to know how to lose to know how to win.” You have to have the right attitude in life depending on each situation. Michael Jordan was an asshole on the court, but he backed it up, and off the court he presented himself well. You have to be an asshole on the court, and present yourself well off court.
Selflessness.
I’m a selfless person. Even in sports my coaches would say I was an “unselfish player.” I’d make sure someone got his or her shot before I got mine. This has stayed with me throughout my adult life. I’m always making sure people are taken care of, and I enjoy making people happy. I had to learn though that sometimes you have to put yourself first and make yourself happy. My coaches taught me that sometimes you have to take that shot if you’re open.
Believe in yourself.
I’ll never forget my greatest game moments, and I’ll never forget the feeling I had afterwards. I felt like I could accomplish anything. Sports gave me the confidence I needed to thrive. Sports taught me how to believe in myself. You can do whatever you set your mind to. To refer back to Michael Jordan, and give the most cliché example ever, Michael Jordan is the greatest player in basketball history. We all know the story of him getting cut from his school team. Look at him now. Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.
Never give up.
I was no Steph Curry. Shocker, I know. I didn’t have a starting position right away in high school. This was a change for me, but one I respected. However, I wanted to be a starter. I worked my butt off in order to prove I was good enough to hold that position. There were times I thought I’d never get there – that what I was doing wasn’t good enough. I didn’t stop trying though. I worked harder and didn’t let up. Eventually, I got that starting position and held it for the rest of the season. I remember my coach saying to me once, “you can let up now. You’ve proven yourself to me.”
The lesson here is to never give up. Keep going. Keep pushing yourself. If you want it, go get it. You’ll be knocked down some along the way, but you have to get back up. You have to keep going. As long as you never give up, eventually, you’ll get what you’re after.
Playing sports shaped me as a person, gave me quality personality traits, and taught me valuable lessons that I’ll carry throughout the rest of my life.
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