To the girl wearing my jersey this season, this is for you.
Growing up I always played sports. My weekends were consumed by practices, tournaments, and games. I was constantly in the backseat of my mom’s minivan being rushed off to the next athletic event. Though most of my adolescent years were consumed by sports I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. While it sounds so cliché, sports shaped me into the young woman I am today; and they’ll undoubtedly shape you too.
My athletic experience was filled with wins, losses, countless sprints, and thousands of hours of practice. While I didn’t love every sprint, loss, or sloppy win I did always love one part of my athletic experience- my jersey.
Growing up I always took pride in my jersey and the number on the back of it.
The name on the front of my jersey represented the bond my teammates and I had. The same name was sprawled across the front of each of our jerseys illustrating how we played for the same team, and more importantly how we played for each other. Each time I put my jersey on, I was constantly reminded of how I was not only playing for myself, but my teammates also.
Next time you put your jersey on, I challenge you to think about who you’re playing for, and even more so, why. A sports jersey may seem trivial but to me it represented so much more, and I hope it does for you too.
My number has been consistent since I was in 5th grade. Every time I put that jersey on I felt an obligation to play for the little girl who fell in love with the game. Just as much as the name on my jersey was a reminder to play for my teammates, the number on my back reminded me to play for myself.
I took pride in my number- and you should too. On the field you are your number. During games referees don’t refer to you by your name, they refer to you by your number. Whether you have an emotional attachment to your number or not, take pride in the number you wear.
If you take anything from this article remember this: take nothing for granted. I’ll be honest- some days you won’t want to go to practice. But when you don’t feel like sweating it out, just remember you won’t be able to do this forever. A time will come when you and your teammates go separate ways. Playing with your best friends comes to an end eventually. Getting psyched up in school for a crosstown rivalry will only last so long. Playing in the bitter cold may seem horrific, but in a few years you’ll do anything to do it again.
Every game, play, rep, give it your all. Because soon enough it’ll be gone. Play for your teammates. They deserve your sweat, tears, and hustle just as much as you deserve it from them. When you score a goal, celebrate like you’ve just won the championship; it’ll make the win that much sweeter. Play for yourself. The little girl who fell in love with the game years ago is still inside of you. Play for her.
