Looking back at high school, I had some good times and some not so good times. A majority of those 'good times' were spent on a court or field with some of my best friends. I will always cherish the quality time I spent with not only them but my coach.
Sports build character. Now, this may sound super cliche and something that a soccer mom might say but it's 100% true. From the get-go, you're learning to corporate with others. My soccer coach always said, "They had to get through the whole team to be able to score."
This meaning, you can't blame one person. It takes a whole team to win and it's important to realize that it takes all of you to lose too. You're learning that things aren't handed to you.
Don't have the position you want? Now before you quit, have you put in the effort to earn that position? Have you taken the criticism given to you positively? If you want to reach a certain goal or play that position, you have to constantly better yourself.
Speaking of constantly bettering yourself, is there really a limit to making yourself better at something? No. Playing sports allows you to reflect on your actions (in this case, your time playing) and see what you can do better.
There is always something to practice or correct and that's not a bad thing. That doesn't mean your not a good player or teammate, it just means you're dedicated to becoming a better player for your team.
Working with a team was hard but it was also fun. There are disagreements and yelling at each other (you can't expect 19 girls to get along all the time.) Playing side by side has taught me that it's not a one-man-show. And it's not that way in the real world either. You have to work with fellow employees and you have to collaborate with classmates.
These girls continue to be some of my good friends and we always refer to silly things we did whenever we played together. Being apart of a team has given me life-long memories. While I probably wouldn't go back to high school, I wouldn't mind being on a team with those girls again.
My Coach was a motivator but also a pusher. He knew when you could do better and he knew exactly how to get you to that point. But he also treated us like family and made the team have an overall warm vibe. We laughed, we cried, he made us run, we'd cry more (jokingly.)
My advice is to join a sport. Even if it's an individual sport, you'll still practice and form relationships with peers and coaches. You'll be happy you did and you might even miss it. A lot.
