Things We Learned from Playing Sports...

I’m not sure if you played sports as a child. I had one main sport that I played from 5th grade until graduation. There were other sports I played in the summer or at events, but the one that I practiced, competed in and loved was volleyball.

It seemed purely coincidental, since other than cheer; it was the only sport, my school had. I was good at it immediately which caused me to work hard at it. I loved the simplicity of the skills and the mental side of the game.

What I didn’t know was that it was helping me to appreciate others and the gifts they had. It also helped me to learn to work as a team. People say this all the time, but it is very important to realize that you can do great things, but that more people working together can do even more.

I remember putting everything I had into each game and the agony of losing. There was no way to know that those skills learned after the loss, would help in other areas of life when no matter what you did or how hard you tried, you seemed to lose.

It changed the definition of winning and losing. You can win and not have gained anything, and you can lose and have gained everything. I think watching my daughter play brought this one home for sure. Volleyball showed me how similar she is to me. The way she attacks the game, dedicates herself to continuing to grow and making those around her better. Introducing her to the sport I loved and watching her love it as well has been a highlight of my life.

This was her first sport to have a natural talent for. It will open the door for many other sports, I’m sure. Who’s to know if she will love anything more or be great at any of those future sports or if her first love will return some day.

When we moved last year, the region we are in now does not have Volleyball as a sport. That has been the hardest thing to accept. As with any other changes life brings your way, we do what we can to learn from it and take it into the next thing God has for us.

We have rules for sports. You may find them weird, but they have helped us find a balance in the focus we place on things in our life and how easily it is to let the physical things of this life take priority over the spiritual.

No game or point or ranking is more important than what we can learn from them and the character traits we can build by doing our best and growing our friendships with those we play the game with!

What sport have you or your children played? What do you think is the thing you/they learned most?