A Letter to Sports

Dear Sports:

You showed up in early mornings and super long nights, in uniforms that were too big and fields that felt even bigger. You’ve taught me how to listen, how to try, and how to keep going when my body was tired and my confidence was gone.

You gave me a place to belong, along with a team, a role, a reason to be proud when I worked hard and a reason to feel brave when I made mistakes. You taught me that my effort actually matters and that practice is how I get better. Even more, you have taught me that getting better doesn’t happen right away, but that it shows up one rep, one game, and one season at a time.

But sometimes, Sport, you feel like a bunch of bricks in my bag, weighing me down. You have made my heart race before games and my stomach drop after a mistake. I learned what it feels like to win and also what it feels like to lose when every eye was on me. I learned that my performance could also feel like my self-worth and that making an error could follow me a long time after the game was over.

You have taught me how to handle pressure, but sometimes, you gave me too much of it. I heard the voices from the sidelines and the one inside my head telling me that I had to do better – had to be better. I worried a lot about letting my teammates, or parents, or coaches down and I wondered, a lot, if I was even good enough to keep playing.

But you kept on teaching me. You showed me that losing hurts, but that the feelings don’t last forever, like I thought it would. I’ve been taught that mistakes do not erase how hard I try and showing back up takes a lot of courage. Sports, you have helped me learn how to breathe, refocus, and try again, however many times I need to.

You’ve taught me about teamwork and how to cheer for others even when I was disappointed and how to celebrate wins. I’ve also been taught how to sit together in losses.

You also taught me about myself – what I’m good at and what I need to work on. I know, now, how to respond when things don’t go my way and how strong I can be, not just physically, but in my mind, too.

So, Sports, I hope we can keep growing together. I hope I remember that you’re supposed to be about learning, moving, and happiness and not just about scores and stats. I hope I can play you because I love you, not because I’m afraid of failing.

Thank you for the lessons, even the really hard ones. Thank you for teaching me how to be stronger, braver and more confident.

Sincerely  

A kid who is still learning that effort matters more than perfection