Get Over It

I have climbed over the hill of being naïve. I have climbed over the hill of letting others get ahold of me until they’ve weakened me and I have given in. I have gained my confidence, and I gained it when I stopped letting my guard down and became the passionate and spirited person that I am today.

Playing sports in high school was something I lived for. I HAD to be on a sports team because that is where I felt most accepted. I knew that my coaches would be completely honest with me, as they were. I knew my team would hold me accountable for the mistakes and praise me when needed, as they did. I felt as though I could be myself and work through the hard times because winning isn’t everything.

I learned that even if you play your hardest game, you could lose. Even if you yelled as loud as you could, you could lose. But I learned that what I had won was the experience of a lifetime, and that’s something I thank my high school years for.

If you’ve been on an athletic team before, did you feel this way?

Volleyball became my passion, and it was the best sport to ever play. Because I had an impulse idea to try out for the team in 8^th grade, I began the process of maturing and building self-confidence. I was taught to play as hard as I could and to sacrifice myself for the rest of my team.

Would you do that?

I want you to understand that when you are a part of a team, it is so very important to do three things:

Take the risk. You made it on the team. You got this!
Be the best person you can be. You’re on a team. Be the one everyone looks up to.
Never, ever, second guess yourself and think you can’t do what someone else is doing. You were chosen for the sport so, play to your best ability and never hold back.

“I felt as though I could be myself and work through the hard times because winning isn’t everything.”

I learned these three pieces of advice I have for you when I decided to be the bigger person and to be the teammate whom everyone could rely on. I didn’t do it by myself but, I learned to earn it myself, and I learned to take the advice given to me and be a coachable athlete. YOU can too.

This advice isn’t only for people who are on a sports team or who have played on a team before, but this advice is for those of you struggling to push through. Those of you who are just like me. I am no longer a part of a volleyball team, but I apply this to my everyday life. I try to apply these tips when I am working out, when I am running, and even when I am trying to go about my day and finish up school. Knowing this and applying it to my life have made all the difference.

If I can do this, you can do this too!