Everyone has their family and their core group of friends. That goes without saying. Your mom, dad, sister, brother, and best friends are the people who always have your back, no matter what. They’re your people. Some people might even have their sorority sisters or fraternity brothers to lean on, but there’s a bond even stronger still. Your teammates.

Granted, not everyone on your entire team is going to be compatible. In fact, that rarely happens. Usually, there are cliques that evolve, which leads to gossip and sh*t-talking, but all those things aside, your teammates are your people too, whether you like it or not. They become your family.

Here are some reasons why:

1. They understand the whack schedule you have.

No one understands your day-to-day life more than someone on the same sports team as you. With practice every single day and super long bus rides to games, they know that you’re limited on time. Homework is just something you have to squeeze in at some point during the day. Taking on other commitments is an actual challenge, but they empathize well with you.

2. They’ve seen you at your lows.

Yup, they’ve probably seen you cry. Like full-on bawling. Heart-wrenching sobbing. And who’s there to pick up the pieces? Your team. They know exactly how it feels when you were up by 10 in the first half, and suddenly lose by 1 at the end of the game.

3. They’ve seen you at your highs.

They know exactly how it feels when you were down by 10 in the first half, and suddenly win by 1 at the end of the game. The adrenaline that you feel after netting the game-winning goal is hard to describe on paper. It’s a feeling of pure ecstasy that you and your teammates feel together, as one. Your whole body feels invincible and you’re tackling each other with hugs.

4. They feel your (literal) pain.

Your teammates know how tired, sore, and beaten down you feel. If you’re sore and can’t move your body more than 6 inches, chances are they feel the same way. Ice baths are an outer body experience, and everyone tries to jam inside one whirlpool.

5. That’s just how it is.

You spend so much time together, you can read each other like a book. There’s just something about a team bond that isn’t easily broken. As the season chips away, you somehow manage to become best friends with everyone on your team because you understand them and they understand you.

There’s so much dedication, attitude, hard work, mentality, passion, blood, sweat, and tears on a sports team that no other clique can understand. The ups and downs that your team goes through strengthens the bond even more. They’re the family you’re forced to like, but eventually love.