Life changing experiences through sports

Sports have taught me a lot about life. Every sport that I have participated in has made an impact on me personally. I’ve not only benefited from the fun of the sport, but each one has also taught me a little bit more about myself. Over the years, my parents have motivated me to stay active, and to try a variety of sports for the differing experiences each one offers. Thus far, I have been involved in baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, track and field, and volleyball; I intend to play football in the fall. Each sport has been unique, and I enjoy the diversity and challenge of every one. I am thankful for the opportunity to play in both team sports and individual sports; both provide life lessons from two different perspectives.

During my middle school years, I was on a swim team in the winter and a track team in the spring and summer. Both of these sports are unique because even though there is a team that you train with and cheer for, there is an individual aspect of achievement that is emphasized. Every time I ran or swam a race, I would always have a goal of beating my previous time. It was a goal that only I could set. It was a goal that was realistic and achievable. Through this I learned that in anything, my capability of attaining a particular goal is possible, as long as I put my mind to it, and practice really hard to succeed. There are two aspects of racing that are vitally important. First is the physical training, which could also be comparable to intellectual learning. This is fairly obvious when you think about how athletes succeed. Most everyone knows that the athletes must train. Secondly however, is the mental aspect of the race, or other ambition. The mental preparation includes the attitude. Over the years, I’ve learned that my attitude affects my performance just as much or more than does my actual training. Also, my goals are my own. I compete with other people, but I am really only racing with myself in order to get a better time than before. People of other teams are not sports rivals; they are friends who compel me to be competitive. They are people who challenge me to do better by encouraging me to beat them.

Despite the individual success I feel when playing a sport, there is also the sharing of victory and defeat within a team. Swimming and Track are certainly team sports; however they focus on individual qualities. Sports such as volleyball and basketball on the other hand develop team skills. Sometimes it is hard to work as a team. The only way for success however, is that friendships and like-minded efforts be obtained. When team mates cheer each other on and work together, there is a unity that makes a team whole. This unity makes a team that is stronger than just one person, and ultimately brings a reward of victory.