As many of you probably know, I am a big sports fan. I believe that sports can be a motivator for many students. But even if you don’t like to participate in sports, there are some life lessons that can be gained from sports participation that can easily help you be more successful in school and in general.
Sportsmanship
Respect everyone’s effort, those that are better than you and especially those you have bested. Always offer a hand shake and a word of congratulations, because there will always be someone better.
Hard Work
In order to achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams, you must work hard. Even if it sounds cliché, it’s true that hard work does pay off.
Optimism
If you always give up, you won’t get anywhere. Negativity is detrimental in any aspect of life. Find the positive and keep pushing forward to succeed.
Confidence
If you believe, you will achieve. Have confidence in yourself and your abilities and you will reach your goal.
Persistence
Even when you feel like you can’t, you should always fight to reach your goal. If it matters to you, then it’s worth fighting for.
Teamwork
Everyone in life needs a team: people to guide them, support them, and help them reach their goals.
Dedication and Commitment
Always finish what you start. Whether it’s a game, a test, or a book. Giving up, either on yourself or your teammates, is disrespectful and won’t help you reach your goal.
Time Management
Prioritize your time. Many coaches want you to put your school work first, and in order to do that, you need to make time for it. While your sports team may be important to you, it does not define you. You must make time for all other aspects of your life, academics included, in order to meet your goals and make the most of your school career.
Middle school isn’t easy. For many students, overcoming obstacles, including failure, can feel almost impossible. So, here are some tips to help you:
Accept it.
Allow yourself to be upset. Acknowledge your feelings and then accept that it has happened so you can move on.
You’re not a failure just because you had a setback.
One setback does not define you. Let your success do that. Look at your situation and see it as valuable feedback that you can use to improve yourself.
You can succeed unless you fail.
Michael Jordan sums it up perfectly: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Talk about it.
Don’t keep things bottled up inside. Talk to someone close to you and you’ll be able to see your situation from another perspective.
Keep moving forward.
Even a small amount of success is a step forward. Keep building upon that until you reach your goal.