Dear Fellow Athlete,
I know you. I appreciate you. I’ve been you.
The end of the bench is all but glamorous. You are the last person to get a high five when a sub comes off the field or court and feel the brunt of their excitement or frustration. You show up to practice only to be used to help the starters get better. You warm up for every game and your adrenaline is pumping all just to sit, or worse, stand on the sidelines to watch your teammates play the game you love. You may get a few minutes of playing time at the end of a game where the score differential is too great to matter. You are part of the group who may be told they have to put the equipment away after every practice or game. You are the ball shaggers, token defenders, or scorekeepers. All helpful jobs just usually the ones that go unappreciated and un-thanked. You don’t get to travel to all the games and be a part of all the fun experiences the team has because it costs too much to take everyone. You feel like you shouldn’t bother the athletic trainers to tape your ankle for a game because you “won’t play anyway”. Others may not see the need to thank you for just doing your job on the team, but maybe it would help.
I know you. I appreciate you. I’ve been you.
I have also experienced the opposite. I have been the senior, starter, and leader on the team. I know how exciting it is to play every minute of every game (until my shoe falls apart in the middle of the game). I know what it feels like to feel important to the team. To feel that I can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. To feel excited to go to practice and feel like I am bettering myself and the team. To sometimes forget about the last person on the bench. I’m sorry.
I know you. I appreciate you. I’ve been you.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you matter and all of your teammates appreciate you and everything you do for the team is important. Yes that is true, but it doesn’t always make you feel any better about your situation. What I will tell you is this: no matter what “status” I hold on any team I am ever a part of I will do my best to show my appreciation for you. I will make sure you feel important to the team that you so deeply love participating on and in the sport you have loved since you were four.
