At a young age I was introduced to athletics. My family encouraged me to participate in as many activities as I possibly could and I found sports to be my calling. Over the years I participated in a handful of sports and eventually found one that was perfect for me. Just like most athletes, I can say that participating in an athletic program has changed my life for the better. Sports in general, have taught me a few qualities that are necessary in life.
1. Time management
Athletics take a chunk out of each and every day. Regardless of what age you are, being able to balance a day successfully is very important. Being a member of a team or individual activity can be very time-consuming. You can easily spend three to four hours at the field, on the court, or in the rink without thinking twice. It is important to manage your time in order to get everything you want to do in a day done. Sports take a good chunk of your day and you don’t want to fall behind in anything else.
2. Priorities
This is a very big characteristic in every athlete's life. There is only so much time in a day and what you are able to accomplish says a lot about who you are. At the college level you have to try to balance school, family, athletics, clubs, friends, and sleep. In order to be successful, you have to be strong-willed enough to complete tasks in order of importance. There are many athletes that are really good at balancing all aspects and have good grades, social time, and excel at their sports. However, every once in a while you come across someone who does not have their priorities straight and pays the consequence. Priorities are so important because if you lose track of them, chances are you lose track of yourself. In order to participate with your team you have to have eligible grades, so school athletics really pushes you to prioritize your life.
3. Teamwork
Athletics are notorious for teaching people how to work with others. You may not get along outside of the arena but when the time comes you have to suck it up and work together. This is a good aspect that will eventually carry on into the job place. It is likely that you won’t get along with everyone you meet so being able to set differences aside is important. Teamwork is also a big factor in getting jobs done. As athletes, we have to be able to work alongside one another to complete a common goal.
4. Respect
From a young age you are put in your place. You are taught to respect those watching, coaching, and playing alongside you. You learn to respect the rules of the game even though you might not agree with them. No one wants to work with someone who is disrespectful and that’s something that goes way farther in life than just sports.
5. Passion
Athletes don’t just like the sport, they fall in love with it. At the start it is just an activity to keep you busy. As days begin to add up you become more interested. You improve and seeing those improvements made you want to push harder and be more successful. You begin to watch others in your free time. You start working out in the mornings and practicing extra in the evenings. It started to become more than a sport, more than a game, a passion, something you crave, a necessity just like oxygen.
As I approach some of my final years of actually being able to play the game I love, I am able to take to heart how much the sport has impacted my life. Sure, it may seem like sports are just a bunch of people in matching uniforms running or hitting objects, but it's much more than that. Sports are character builders.
