Personal Sports Column

Mankind has achieved some amazing things such as advanced technology, traveling into outer-space, and even the knowledge to split the atom. One of those achievements is sports. Since the ancient world in 760 BC, sports have always been around.The very first sports game ever played was a footrace played in the Olympic Games. Many kids have heroes who are famous sports players such as Danica Patrick, Mike Tyson or even historical figures like Jackie Robinson. Sports have a greater impact than just teach people how to play baseball or soccer, sports can teach lessons about life. At the end of the day, we all have a connection with sports.

Many people remember what their very first sports game was, others do not. Since I could remember the very first sport I ever played was soccer. The best part was trying to kick the ball away from the other team and into the goal. The whole team would work together to win or to work separately and fail the whole game. This was the very first time I learned to work with other people because that is how you will always win. Never work or go alone, always get help.  

Several years later, I played basketball, football, baseball.Basketball was very thrilling. Sweating, heart beating fast and then slow, eyes focusing on the ball, hearing the background music, stealing the enemy’s ball, throwing it in the hoop and then scoring victory. The crowd went wild and everyone had a great time. Basketball has always been a popular sport, for me I hold it dear to my heart because I learned another lesson that helped me through some dark times: always focus on the objective nothing else. Don’t think, don’t show off, and don’t take your eyes off the ball. Always focus on throwing the ball into the hoop and score for you and your team.

When I played flag-football, I learned that I need to have a plan for every game and everything in general. Everyone had to work together to form a plan instead of going in blind. The entire team and not just the experienced hard-core players need to be in charge and form everything. Going in blind results in a failed game, and then a failed mission. When I first played football, I was scared of footballs in the air and landing on the face and even more scared of losing. Running and stealing the ball from the enemy was the only two thoughts in my head. If you thought basketball was the sweatiest sport, there is nothing sweatier than running to pull off someone’s flag and then stealing the ball and running and throwing it back while others on your tail. This was easily one of the best feelings in the world. The team and I worked nearly perfect with each other. We all learned to plan and to try to execute the plan perfectly. This lesson taught me to always plan out everything. If you go into something without a plan, then the chaos will happen and everything will fall down.

Now if anyone has never played baseball it’s actually really fun. Who wouldn’t like to swing as hard as you could at a ball with a metal baseball bat? I was a natural the first time I played. I won a medal on my first day and I ran so fast no one could catch me. Swinging and running are literally the only thoughts you need once you become the batter. The pitcher only has one job, throw the ball. The rest of the team needs to catch it and then throw it at the runner. I learned the most valuable thing from that experience, try. I tried as hard as I could to get the job done and low and behold it actually worked! No matter what, if you just try your mission could be true.

Sports have always been a benefit to humanity and it had a massive impact on a lot people’s lives and careers. Just ask famous sport players and they’ll say the same thing. Truly, sports is one of mankind’s cornerstone.