Growing up, my parents always encouraged me to pursue sports. At the ripe age of five, I didn't really know what I was signing up for and at that point in life. When you're that young, your parents just sign you up and hope that you like it, and if you don't, they won't sign you up next year. Basically between the ages of 5 and 10, finding a sport your child enjoys is a trial and error sort of process. However, you are soon old enough to decide if sports is an area that you want to partake in. It's no longer up to your parents, and even though they may strongly encourage you one way or another, it is solely your decision. I had multiple sports that I played in high school, like most of my friends. For some it was a way to stay social and for others, they were laying foundation for their athletic career. I went on from high school to play in college and I am so grateful that I did. There were many lessons that I learned. Some were positive and some were negative. But the bottom line is that is that playing on a sports team prepared me in many different ways and I can apply these lessons to many different of my life.
One of the most important things that playing on a sports team has taught me, was how to work in a team and how to work together. It is not an easy task to work with 11 other players on a field at once. Of course this number can change depending on the sport. There will always be conflict on a team. It can be a five second disagreement on the field, or it can be a month long fight that took place off of the field. Being on a soccer team with all girls, conflict can not be avoided. However, it depends on the level of maturity of the team that decides how well this conflict is dealt with. I learned how to take conflict that occurs within the team and put it aside for the greater good of the game. I can apply this most definitely in the work place.
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Playing on a team has also taught me how to play with teammates that I may not necessarily get along with. It is always important to learn how to put any differences aside when you step foot onto the field or court. The team is more important than an argument between two people. This is a lesson that can be applied to any and every aspect of life. There will always be someone that you have disagreements with, but it's important to learn how to set them aside.
You need to learn how to lose. You can't win every game and you certainly won't always win at life. It's important to learn how to keep your head high and keep moving. You need to learn how to learn from a loss and disappointment, but to also forget the loss. You can't hold it over your head or you will move ahead and improve.
You also need to learn how to win. When everything is going right and you are succeeding, learn how to stay humble and grateful. Do not let success go to your head. Do not forget about the hard work that it took. And definitely don't take it for granted.
When you play on a sports team, it's likely that you will play under a coach that you don't necessarily agree with and take a particular liking to. Remember what you're there for. You're there to succeed and if your dreams can be derailed by a coach or superior that doesn't agree with you all of the time, then maybe you need a different dream. However, there are definitely times when a coach or superior can not be worked with and that may mean you continue to follow your dream but for or with other people.
Time management. This is a big one. In college, when you're taking 15 credits and playing a sport among other commitments, you have no choice but to learn how to manage your time so that you set yourself up to be successful. It's crucial to learn time management because it will be much harder after college if you don't.
One lesson that had the most impact on my life was learning how to make goals and set my sights high. Whether it's to have a winning season, win all conference games, make playoffs, or just a personal goal to improve your performance, such as becoming a starter. No matter what it was, you made a goal to work towards something that you had to work for until you accomplished it. This helped me in the classroom, in the workplace, and it all started on the field.
I couldn't be more grateful for everything that I learned while I played my heart out on the field. I'm happy I was given the opportunity to improve myself and learn invaluable lessons that can be applied to all aspects of my life. You'll find that you'll never regret choosing to join a team, gearing up, and walking out onto the field to chase your dreams.
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