Growing up is full of lessons of all shapes and sizes. For some, these lessons come from our parents, teachers, and other moments and people in our childhood but for some people, like me, they come from little league and rec ball. If you were anything like me, you grew up with whatever sport was in season. When everyone else was showing off their cool new toys, you were showing off bruises and scrapes from your last game. There are some unique things that can only be learned if you grew up playing sports. Unfortunately, there is no book to list all of the things we learn as we grow up but here are a few things we learn when you are growing up as an athlete:

1. "Sports parents" are a real thing.

Whether it be soccer, basketball, baseball, football, track and field, or any other sport, there are those parents. You know exactly who i am talking about because they have been around forever. They might be your parents or even your teammates parents but they are the parents that are at every game, supporting the team in any way they can, they almost always have snacks to "fuel the team", and sometimes they are caught yelling at the refs. A true 'Sport Parent' is the one that everyone knows has arrived the minute they enter the gym, after all tt wouldn't be a true competition if the most passionate fans weren't there.

2. You know the true meaning of respect.

Anyone who grew up playing sports understands that it all comes down to respect. A good teammate respects their team, a good athlete will respect the coach, there has to be a level of respect for game officials and fans, it all comes down to respect. The most successful of teams are the ones who can translate that respect into everyday life. We learn to respect different opinions and people in a way that many struggle with.

3. A coach can hold a lot of power.

To an outsider, this one is a no-brainer. I know you are probably thinking, "Duh, the coach controls the team", of course they hold a lot of power. However, what most people don't realize is that for many young athletes a coach can either be a hero or a villian. I have seen kids love a coach so much that it makes the kid love and respect the sport even more, but I have also seen the coach that has been hated so much by an athlete that it ruins the game for the athlete. Coaches mold and shape many kids lives whether they are aware of it or not.

4. You learn how to deal with being sweaty.

This is a big one. I always laughed at the girls who sais " I don't sweat, I sparkle." What? No. That is not even possible because I look like I just walked through a tsunami anytime I workout. Luckily with that I learned always carry extra deodorant, never skip an opportunity to shower, and absolutely under no costs put your sweaty socks in your bag. You will forget those socks are there and regret it later.

5. Not having a social life is okay.

"I cant, I have practice..."

It is all about sacrifices. We sacrificed our "social lives" in the hopes of being successful in whatever sport we were in. It also taught us true dedication, very few are willing to give up parties and hanging out with friends to play sports.

7. You get out what you put in.

It doesn't get any simpler than that folks. We learned early on that if we wanted to be decent we had to put in a decent amount of time. If we wanted to be great, we had to work hard for it and there was no guarentee that it would pay off.

8. True Teammates have a special bond.

A true teammate is one that can put aside everything that is going on in the outside world the minute they step on the court or field because thats what teammates do. They will have your back when it comes down to it and a true teammate is one that you can trust in to be there at every turn. These are the people you will never forget.

9. Knowledge is Key.

Early on we learn that if we want to have any success at all, we have to know what we are doing. By the time our athletic careers are over, we know almost every rule and a ton of random knowlege about all of the sports we were involved in because in order to win you have to know what you are doing.

10. Anything can be a competition.

No joke. Anything and Everything can be a competition. From Kindergarten P.E. to who can read the most books. It is all a competition. Don't put anything past someone who has grown up playing sports, they will turn it into a competition whether you know it or not.

11. Outsiders won't understand.

To people who didn't grow up investing all their time, heart, and soul into playing sports, you are a loon. They won't understand why you can't just skip a couple days of practice or why you care so much about a 'silly game' because to they won't understand that it is more than just a game.However, we learn to accept those who don't understand why we do what we do because we are all people who grow up learning and loving differently.

12. The memories you make are worth it all.

The memories we made playing sports are ones that live with us daily. Little things remind us of our 'glory days', even if they were 3rd grade little league games. No one can take those memories from you and those memories are worth every sacrifice you ever made because playing sports has turned you into the person you are today.