For a college student from a basketball school, March Madness can easily be the best time of the year. Even if you don't follow the rules of basketball that closely, the energy it creates on campus and the thrill of so many games to watch all in a short time is thrilling.
Even people outside of college get in on the action, making bracket after bracket trying to crack the code. Whether your team makes it all the way to cutting down the nets or gets overthrown before the tournament has even gotten good, there are some important lessons that March Madness teaches everyone.
1. Never get too confident
Even if you're going into the tournament thinking you're gonna go far with ease because you're the number one overall team playing a team that barely made it, there is no guarantee that you're gonna pull off that win. Confidence in yourself is good but never get too comfortable that you get complacent.
2. Anyone can have a Cinderella story
No matter who you are, where you come from, or who believes in you, as long as you have trust in yourself and a good work ethic you will go far. Keep pushing yourself and you won't just be a surprise to people, you can make it to the end. Keep pushing.
3. When you think you know everything, you don't
Even if you watched every college basketball game over the year, did hours of research on match-up history, and took into account every little injury, professional opinion, and scandals, your bracket will fail. Some of the upsets you picked just won't happen and the few games you were certain about will be complete surprises. You can be so sure about where you stand, about how much you know, but bracket games are the best way to get humbled really fast and realize there is always room for improvement.
4. Adversity forms the strongest bonds
There's no easier way to make friends than to both be cheering and screaming for the same thing. In the intense gameplay, there's a lot of stress, and it's easy to form a bond with someone going through the exact same emotions as you. Teams turn even more into family during March, growing, learning and having to be unselfish to make it through, and it draws them closer than imaginable. The people standing by you when things get tough and stressful are the ones who will stand by you when you're holding up that trophy, and for years to come.
5. Fight until the very end
Nothing is over until you say it's over. Never ever give up. All the hard work you put into something will count once you see it through, and even if you get discouraged, giving everything you have until the very end is the only way to see your goals realized. And you never know, sometimes all it takes is 4.7 seconds to change your life.
