Sports teach us in ways we never really think about but the problem is, we don't always take the lesson. We get so caught up in our own selves that we miss what it is we should be taking away from the game. Some things that we need to keep in focus in sports are as follows:
Sports Teach Us Life is Not Fair – Hard for many to accept but it's a cold hard truth. You can do everything the right way and still have someone pull the rug out from under you. You can have setbacks others don't. You can not get opportunities others do. Get over it. It happens. And for the most part there is nothing you can do about it. How you react to this is what defines you. Overcome or wallow in self-pity and never rise above it. It is up to you but there isn't a lot of middle ground here.
Sports Teaches Us Things Won't Always Go Your Way – This goes hand in hand with my previous point. There are times when you get a bad call from a ref or an official won't call something you feel they should. It happens. You are not entitled to anything in life. Complaining and whining will not fix an issue no matter how bad you want it to or how loud you are about it. You may be able to get some to change their mind and give in to appease you and keep you off their back but in the end you lose even more this way. All you can control in this life is yourself and your own thoughts and actions.
Sports Teaches Us That It Is Not Always About Me (You) – If you are in an individual sport this isn't for you as it is about you. For those in team sports though this is a lesson you need to pick up on. You do not play the game by yourself. There are others out there working just as hard, looking for the same opportunities, and wanting to show what they can do just the same as you. You may be a star but not even Lebron James, Mike Trout, or Tom Brady can win games all by themselves. It takes everyone doing their part and putting the teams success first to have the season you want. Selfish play and attitudes tear a team apart faster than anything else can. This might mean you don't get to play the position you want to or get as many minutes as others do but, it's not about you. The coach has a job to do and that's to do what he/she thinks is going to be best for the team, not for you as an individual. Not everyone can be the star, so find a role that you can play and shine in it when given the opportunity to do so.
Sports Teach Us How To Communicate And Deal With Adversity – Ask any coach in sports and what they will tell you is that communication is vital to a teams success. If you can't communicate you are a liability on the team. I put adversity here as well because most times we make adversity worse because we won't deal with it and put it off until it becomes something we can't really handle. Whereas if we had just taken time to deal with it up front we could have avoided making mountains out of mole hills. There will always be adversity in your life. How you deal with it will not only define you as a person but dictate the quality of life you have. Don't let adversity make you a victim. Don't allow your lack of communication skills hold you back in sports or in life. Overcome.
Sports Teaches Us To Be Humble – Nothing can humble you quicker than sports can. We can think we are the top of our sport only to have someone come in and cut us down to size pretty quick. There is always someone out there better than you. There is always someone out there outworking you. Lebron James is considered the best player in the world, and he's a double digit underdog for the finals. Tom Brady lost the Super Bowl to a back up QB last year. The Golden Knights, a 1st year expansion team in the NHL, made it to the finals this year with players no one else wanted. Do everything you can to put yourself in position to have success. Just understand that just because you want something real bad and have worked for it that it might not always happen for you.
Sports are a great teacher, but the lessons it teaches are often lost on those that need it the most. This article may fall on deaf ears but it is my hope that the ones that need to hear this will. Learn the lesson. Apply the lesson. Help others to do the same.