An Athlete's Pride

I spent most of today rambling through more than 50 pages of motivational sports quotes and among them I found one titled ‘An Athletes Pride.’ The quote intrigued me so much so I instantly thought to share it with you as today’s post. I hope that you are intrigued with the quote as much as I was and you find others to share it with.

An Athlete’s Pride
"I'm a high school player. I'm a team player. I play with my friends and with some of my enemies, but I respect everyone when it comes to my sport. I know I'm not going to get a multi-million dollar contract to play professionally. I know I may not even get my name in the paper. I play for love of the game. For the pride and honor, for the blood, sweat and tears it takes to make the team, to earn the spot, to win the game. I play because I can, I play because I know that my life would be empty without the sport I play. I would have a lack of everything my sport gives me... integrity, courage, talent, fearlessness, pride, strength, stamina, will, and the heart of a champion. If I didn't play, I would lose a part of me. I'm an athlete. I'm a girl. I'm a champion, not because my team always wins, but because when we don't, we learn from our mistakes. We try to fix them, and most of all because we have fun. I have built lifelong friendships and memories because of my being an athlete. I leave everything on the field or court and continue to push myself. I am never happy with second place, but I have learned to accept it. I have learned to get over and through my anger and be the athlete and player I have always dreamed of being. I don't play for my parents, for my family, for my friends; I don't play for my coach or my teachers or my school. I play for myself but when I'm playing I represent them. It isn't about winning or losing, but I hate to lose. I won't settle for a tie, and I am not satisfied with 100%. To play, you have to sacrifice everything, your body, your time, your sweat, blood, and tears, everything... for your team. I am a player, and athlete and a champion, not because I know what it is like to win, but because I know what it is like to lose. I know what it is like to feel the anger and pain that comes along with "second best." I have been that girl with tears in her eyes, walking out to receive the second place trophy and clapping as the other team, my opponents, receive the first place one. I know what it is like to lose, to win, to want to quit, to want to cry, to not want to get up. I know what it is like to hear the cheers and yells for you. I know what it is like to feel the pressure of everyone on your shoulders, and I know what it is like to choke under that pressure. I know what it means to be an athlete, a true player, and that is why I play. I AM AN ATHLETE, A CHAMPION, A TRUE PLAYER."

Playing the Game of Life
‘An Athlete’s Pride’ makes us understand the athlete’s source of satisfaction in her game. Life in general and the specific areas of your life – your family life, your professional life and your public life – have similar sources of satisfaction. If you look at it closely enough, you will discover that one of the greatest metaphors for life is athletics.

Now, ask yourself the question, ‘How am I playing the game of life?’ and more specifically, ‘How am I playing the game of life?’

Can you take the exact words of ‘An Athlete’s Pride’ and use them to refer to your life in general? Can you take the exact words of ‘An Athlete’s Pride’ and use them to refer to your family, professional life and public life?

If you can, then I would like to congratulate you? If you cant, I’d like to urge you to consider using ‘An Athlete’s Pride’ as the benchmark to which you begin to develop satisfaction in your life – in general as well as your family, professional and public life specifically.