Have you ever watched a game of soccer or basketball come together, but declined to play, even if it was a non-competitive pickup game? Have you ever been surprised at not being picked last when you did decide to play?

Yeah, me too.

One of my defining characteristics is that I am very un-athletic. This is a characteristic that I often own up to, laugh about with friends, etc. But if i'm being real, it really sucks a lot of the time.

Most of the time it's fine, but a couple days ago I experienced some real frustration over it. My boyfriend plays and loves basketball, and thus has made it his personal goal to teach me how to play the sport he loves. The process of improving in the sport has been mostly fun and exciting, but a few days ago it was far from that. He was trying to teach me something that should have been simple, but because I am who I am, it took a long time and I didn't feel like I was improving much, This resulted in me basically acting like a five year old, and kicking the basketball across the yard in frustration. Yeah, not my proudest moment.

Here's the thing though- I actually wasn't doing that bad. Sure, it took me longer to develop the particular skill compared to someone who is used to playing sports, but for me, it was actually pretty good. My problem was that I gave minimal effort because on that day I was feeling particularly low confidence in the sport, which made me assume a defeatist position from the get-go. After the drama I inflicted on myself by kicking the basketball, whining to my boyfriend, etc. we took a break and then I gave it another shot. And that time I did so much better. It wasn't because I had magically become a basketball pro, but because I approached the situation with an attitude of growth rather than being upset because I wasn't perfect on my first try.

So many of you reading this could feel the same way I do about sports, and I just want to tell you to not abandon the thought of athletics completely. Even if you've tried every option and it hasn't worked, give one of them another shot, or pursue something unconventional, like horseback riding or rock climbing. If none of these options work for you after trying again, that's okay. I don't think I'll ever be an avid player of any sport; my goal is to simply not decide to hate sports because I'm not "good" at them. I have truly begun to enjoy basketball because of only one or two people who believed I could improve in it. Find someone who believes in you, and the experience just might surprise you.