The role of sports in my life

Sports are a huge part of my life. Whether I’m playing or watching, they’ve taught me countless lessons about life. I have been playing sports for as long as I can remember, and they’ve helped me make sense of the world when everything else is chaotic.

I have been told I make a lot of sports references in my daily life. I’d have to say that for me, it’s because sports and life go hand in hand. Sports are hard, tiring and draining, but also so exciting, fun and rewarding. 

Just like in a game, life is full of momentum shifts, unexpected fouls and clutch moments when you either rise or fall to the challenge.

Running the race of life

We all participate in the race of life. And all athletes know you have to run every race with endurance, not jog and not take too many breaks. Endurance is the slow and steady, mindful fight. It is a commitment to carry on even when things get hard. In both sports and life, we should all have a purpose—a goal we are working toward, but the path isn’t always smooth. I have found these seven lessons from sports that have helped me run the race called life, especially when it gets difficult.

Lesson 1: The power of patience

One of the first lessons I learned from playing sports is patience. Every player dreams of the big moment—the game-winning shot, the perfect play, the championship ring. But success isn’t built on highlights; it’s built on the thousands of reps in practice, the early morning workouts and the fundamentals that no one sees from the stands.

Patience in life is key. There is no overnight change, everything takes time. 

Lesson 2: Resilience in the face of adversity

The second lesson I learned from sports is resilience, even in the face of adversity. 

Sports are hard, and showing up isn’t always easy. Sometimes my body is sore, my confidence is shaken and nothing seems to be going my way. Yet, I still have to lace up my shoes, step onto the court and give it my all.

As an athlete I know I will get knocked down. People will try my patience. I might even outwork everyone, sacrifice so many things and still come up short. There have been times when I looked to my left and right and saw other people working less and being more successful. It does not always make sense.

And similarly, life doesn’t always follow a predictable script.

Like most people, there have been times when I thought that my life was somehow supposed to look different than it does. I have thought that my loved ones would live forever and my relationships would work out better. I was certain that little kids didn’t get cancer and that if I always did the right things, I’d always be blessed. Life can be seemingly unfair. Sometimes, it gets hard to keep going. 

But just like in sports, no two players have the same journey. Some players have rocky roads where things don’t go as hoped or planned. 

And it is okay to have moments in sports and in life when we break down because everything seems to be falling apart. We all encounter things that bring us to our knees. Sooner or later a situation arises in which we feel completely helpless. Not every fight, not every issue, not every problem that comes along has an easy fix. Life has thrown me curveballs, and it’s easy to allow doubts to creep in, no matter how strong I believe I am. 

When the difficult times come and I want to give up, I dig deeper and keep showing up to play.

Lesson 3: The importance of a support system

Every great player knows that success isn’t an individual effort. You need teammates. You need coaches. You need people who will pick you up when you’re down.

The biggest lesson I learned in both sports and in life is the importance of having people I love and who love me in return in my life.

During tough times, these are the people who are always there for me. They are my strength and my inspiration. You know it’s love when people know everything about you, including your darkest thoughts, the worst things you’ve done, the horrible madness that has happened to you—and they still show up for you. 

I have learned to depend on the people I love and I have learned to lean on them for support when I need them, with great humility.  

Lesson 4: Giving people grace

I believe that understanding others, communicating and giving people grace are just as important to a successful team as they are for a good relationship in life. 

What I mean when I say to give people grace is to understand that everyone is fighting their own battle. You never know what someone is going through. No one is perfect. There have been times where people frustrated me, weren’t kind, ignored me or disappointed me. But just like with a teammate, we have to give each other grace. We are all doing the best we can, and if someone is struggling, it doesn’t mean they aren’t trying.

It is so important to act with compassion, have mercy and forgive. I believe people are just trying to find ways to hurt less, be heard and seen, find safety, connect with others and survive. Giving people the benefit of the doubt is difficult, but I always try to put myself in their shoes and listen to them. 

Lesson 5: The art of listening

Learning to listen is a skill.

One of the fastest ways to improve any relationship is to become a better listener. Likewise, one of the fastest ways to improve in sports is listening to coaches, teammates and other mentors. I have found that just by listening to people, I can be a great help. Sometimes I need a sympathetic ear or a sounding board for an idea. Being a good listener tells your friend that you hear them and are there for them. 

Lesson 6: Persistence and commitment to excellence

The last few lessons that I draw from sports relate to giving 100%, 100% of the time: to show up as your best version at all times and to stay positive in all things. 

I try to not give in to negativity, not lose focus, not hit snooze or think I’m entitled, and I never stop trying to grow and be a better person. 

Lesson 7: Have no regrets

In sports, you have to play as hard as possible. The only regret I have after a game is not giving my all. Losing hurts the most if I feel like I should’ve and could’ve done more to win. 

Life is too short to have regrets. Whether we like it or not, our time on Earth is limited, so I strive to do things I am passionate about. I want to do things that matter, things that help others. 

Final thoughts

I cannot give enough credit to my parents, teammates, coaches, the sports I have played for the opportunities, the experiences I have been blessed with and the lessons I have learned. When I say we are all running the race of life, I want to be clear: There is no race to some finish line. The goal here is to have a healthy, happy life. Some days will feel impossible, but it is important to push through those bumps in the road and focus on the good. My mom told me once that in the end doing the right thing will always be worth it. And she, like usual, is right.