What sports have taught me about the real world

April 3, 2009

Why am I so devoted to watching, writing about, and participating in sports? Some might argue that my commitment to sports is a waste of time. After all, most people think of sports as nothing more than just games; ways to break up the monotony of everyday life, without real value in the future.

For instance, I was once sick and had to catch up on homework. My mom suggested I miss football practice in order to focus on school. “It doesn’t have an impact on your future, anyway,” she said.

While I’ll never suit up for an NCAA or NFL team, I couldn’t disagree with her more. The way I play does impact my future, because sports are more than “just games”. They’re the training grounds for the real world that instill character and values for everyone involved.

In a way, a person’s performance on a field or court is a better indicator of future success than grades will ever be. That’s because anyone can memorize equations each night before a test and forget them hours later. It takes true devotion and learning, however, to physically prove that someone understands a concept and can do something because of it. The emphasis of sports on skills represents the real world: what’s in one’s mind isn’t as important as what one does and how well they do it.

For instance, a wide receiver’s performance on the field demonstrates mastery of a playbook, body placement, and timing with his quarterback. These skills start with the mind, and must be translated to the physical world. Similarly, surgeons start out by the memorizing the layout of human organs systems, but they must also have the ability to safely treat a patient.

Sports are also reflective of real life because they often demand the cooperation of people with little in common. Personally, I don’t hang out with most of my teammates off the field; there are simply too many differences between us all to stay together, whether it’s personal or academic interests.

On the field, however, players must recognize each other as best friends, if not family. The amount of trust necessary in sports is unprecedented. To be successful, all players must fulfill a specific role; a player’s dignity and well-being rests on the shoulders of his or her teammates.

Take for example the relationship between a doubles tennis team. The net man has to believe he won’t get a face full of tennis ball, and that his server is not going to set up the opposition for an easy smash of a return. Without trust between the two players, the net man may move back in order to protect against getting throttled by a return, putting the serving team at a disadvantage.

This is the same kind of trust and cooperation that we will need in our careers and personal lives. From working on a marketing project to being part of a prosecution team, being able to fulfill responsibilities and working well with others are invaluable skills.

Above all, sports have taught me that all one can really control is their own effort. Critics, crowds, and superiorly athletic opponents are just like overly-selective colleges, long work hours, and unrequited admiration. They’re all obstacles that I can do little about, so they are not excuses for an apathetic attitude towards games or the game of life. Sports have made me realize that as long as I’ve got enthusiasm and commitment, fun and success will take care of itself. Because I leave all doubts as to what could’ve or should’ve been on the field, I live with few regrets.

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