Let me apologize in advance for any of you who read the title of this article and thought, "not another one..." I know this article has been written a million times over by a million different people, a million different athletes, and whoever else felt like writing a similar one. Nevertheless, I'm gonna need you to bear with me and read it one more time...
Being an athlete has taught me a multitude of lessons throughout my life, not only on the court but off it as well. From the time you're a quarterback in your local pee-wee football league, to the day you finally step foot on your first college basketball court, it's incredible how much you learn about yourself, your sport, and the world through your athletic journey. I've played volleyball (and dabbled in various other sports) for a solid 10 years or so and I can definitely say I wouldn't be the person I am today without that part of my identity being so intact and prominent in everything I do. So, without further ado, I present to you a list of 13 important lessons I've learned as an athlete that apply to all areas of life and can be appreciated by athletes and non-athletes alike.
1. Inadequacy is a mindset, not a permanent trait
Every athlete has played for a coach who could care less about their emotion's or ego's well-being. Some coaches only want workhorses and have no interest in bettering you as a human being or praising you for your accomplishments as an athlete. When we do have these coaches, it's hard to trust our self-worth and remember why we love playing our sport. I've always struggled with this and have fallen into the ditch that is self-pity many times throughout my athletic career, only to realize as a 3rd-year collegiate athlete that inadequacy is nothing more than a mindset. Never doubt that you're a good athlete and a good human being, you were chosen to play on your team for a reason, regardless of how harsh your coach or other critics might be. The same goes for future jobs and other endeavors. Remember that you're wherever you are, doing whatever you're doing for a reason; don't let anyone push you into that ditch and make you feel lesser than the great individual that you are.
2. Team is truly spelled sans "I"
If I've learned anything from athletics, it's that teamwork and co-collaboration will take you VERY far. A team is much stronger when it consists of several average players who work well together than a team with two stand out players that is constantly out of sync as a group. There is strength in numbers, as well as in the ability to humble ourselves and work together. It's important to know how to function within a team so that you can successfully and efficiently do the same in non-athletic settings when necessary. It's true that "teamwork makes the dream work."
3. Self-discipline
Any athlete can attest to the fact that self-discipline is probably one of the most important and difficult skills they'll learn through their sport. There's only so much a coach can teach you, then it's up to you to actually perform well with the skills you've developed. When you're on the volleyball court or football field, your coach won't be in your ear telling you exactly where to place your hands to catch the pass just out of your reach, or how to set a hittable ball to your outside hitter if the libero shanks the pass. You and you alone are the only person that can force you to be disciplined and motivated enough to perform well and remember the little things. Self-discipline comes into play with school work and other areas of life as well. If you can translate the intense, divine focus you use on the court and apply it to your study habits or what have you, you'll be unstoppable.
4. Time management
This is pretty self-explanatory, but being a student-athlete is a full-time job. Between hustling to classes, eating lunch, going back to class, working your on or off-campus job, going to 2 1/2 hour practices 5 days a week, traveling 5+ hours every other weekend for games, doing homework, watching films, trying to have a social life, and finding time to sleep is the definition of struggle. How we find all the time needed in a day to do all of this still astounds me, but we get it done. Time management is definitely a skill we can apply to anything and everything we do post-athletics in the real world work, or otherwise.
5. Champions are made when no one is watching (courtesy of Whitman volleyball)
What you do off the court is just as important as what you do on the court. It's the little things we do behind closed doors away from (or with) our teammates, coaches, and fans that define us as teams and upstanding individual athletes. How you choose to present yourself in a class, or act at a campus party is a reflection not only on you but your athletic family as well. It's okay to make mistakes, but be responsible in your choices and remember that they don't only apply to you.
6. Your team is a lifelong family you have the privilege of choosing
Teammates are your family. Coaches are your family. Fellow athletes are your family. Remember that they can teach you what a true, loving support network of a family does or doesn't look like. Look to your team's structure and compatibility as a model for success and well-being for your future relationships, but most of all, cherish what you have.
7. Leadership
Every athlete is a leader in some way, shape, or form. Just because you're not a captain doesn't mean you can't lead on and off the court, verbally, or by example. Simply being a respectful individual can help you become a leader in others' eyes. Never underestimate your ability to rise to the occasion when others choose not to; there's leader in all of us.
8. Self-care is bae
Don't let your sport or your job take over your life. You're important, too. If your body isn't functioning well, then you won't perform well when you need to. The same goes for your job. If you're run down, tired, or emotionally out of whack all the time, your performance can suffer, which can lead to bigger issues. Put yourself first sometimes. Take a bubble bath, grab that extra bag of ice, take that nap you've been meaning to take. Just take care of yourself.
9. Selflessness and fearlessness
Being an athlete has also taught me humility and how to spit in the face of fear. Fear is just a word that we throw around when we feel unsure or don't trust ourselves to do what we know we can do. As a volleyball player, I'm still terrified of serve receive, but I know deep down that it's just a ball, a net, a server, and me. There's nothing to fear, really; I know I can pass 100 balls with my eyes closed without a second thought. It's okay to be afraid, don't get me wrong, but don't let that fear take away from your potential as an athlete or whatever you pursue outside of athletics. You're great, so own it. As for selflessness, being on a team has taught me that you're not the center of attention. Even if you're the best player, there's no glory when you're at the top when you're by yourself. The most selfless athletes who care for and trust their teammates are the ones that go down in history as the greats.
10. Pushing myself to the limit
Pushing your body to its absolute limit is a scary thing. Sometimes you feel like that last sprint or that last quarter of your mile run may do more harm than good, but you can do it. Trust that as an athlete, you've been gifted with (or have learned to develop) the ability to push and go hard close to 100% of the time. It's in your blood to push, push, push until you feel like you might throw up or collapse from exhaustion; it's part of the thrill in our art. This goes for mental stamina as well. Balance your health with your will power.
11. How to love hard and deep and cherish every second
I've never loved anything more than volleyball. Sure, I have other passions and other things I plan to pursue after my volleyball career comes to a close, but there's something about the thrill of being on a court or in the sand with a group of amazing human beings I love and trust who also love the sport that I can't get enough of. The feeling of successfully executing a play or making it to the Elite 8 is an indescribable rush that makes all the 6 am workouts, the 3-hour practices, the 2 a days, and the late nights of homework and ice-ing worth it. I've never wanted anything more, never been willing to put everything on the line, never put my heart into, and never mentally pushed through something I love as much as volleyball and I know that deep passion will translate to other areas of my life and allow me to be present and love everything I do in the future.
12. "I am a woman, watch me score" - Nike
Simply put: don't put up with anything lesser than a man. Athletics puts us all on the same level. Just because you're viewed as not being as capable as a man, don't let that become a reality. Use your femininity to kick but and show the world how it's done.
13. No never means "no"
No is just a short way of saying "try again."
So... Thank you volleyball, track, all past, present, and future coaches and teams for providing me with these lessons. I owe a lot to you.
