I’ve been involved with sports for a solid chunk of my life, although I figure I should mention that I did take a ten-year hiatus during which I didn’t play any.
When I was a child, interestingly enough, I dabbled in a lot of solo sports. I was obsessed with gymnastics and then got into horseback riding because of my sister; the team sports didn’t occur until I was in the seventh grade, and these sports were directly affiliated with my elementary school. In high school, I played volleyball and rugby, although once I got a taste of the latter, it shoved the former way out of my mind because I loved it so much. Sometimes I reflect and consider how I literally went from individual sports, headfirst into team ones.
I’ve mentioned before that the sportsmanship and camaraderie that exist in the rugby community are unmatched, but for the sake of this post, I’d like to address team sports as a whole. Earlier today, my rugby team and I battled for 80 minutes together, and while we didn’t come out as victors in terms of the score, we played a solid game of rugby, and that’s really all I can ask for.
Anytime I’m feeling tired or in pain while I’m on the pitch and consider taking a break, I remind myself of my teammates and friends surrounding me. I keep getting back up for them, as they do for me, and it really is an incredible experience to be a part of a team sport in this sense. It is not something I take for granted, hence why even when I feel tempted to give up, I try my absolute hardest not to.
Team sports are some of the best things in existence, if you ask me, and I urge you to immerse yourself in one if you have the opportunity. It is so worth it.
Photo by Olga Guryanova on Unsplash
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