Lessons Learned On and Off the Court

Whenever I tell people that I played basketball in high school, they seem amused. I know it’s because I’m short, and I feel the need to explain that I was a better defensive player because I was fast and could jump up and get in my opponent’s face. The truth is that I was never a great player, but I can still remember how thrilling it was when I made a basket or helped my team win. Of the things I’ve accomplished in my life so far, playing basketball for a tiny no-name school ranks higher on the list than you might expect.

I have been thinking a lot about why that is the case, and certainly having friends and family supporting me in the stands was a big part of it.  There was also something exhilarating about pushing myself physically to do something that was difficult. But even more than that, playing sports taught me about my strengths and weaknesses. While I excelled academically, I had to sit on the bench much of my senior year until the coach decided I should play. That was a good lesson in humility and the importance of being a good teammate even though I wasn’t on the court. Losing games taught me about failure and how to learn from my mistakes—something that was frightening and unfamiliar to me in the academic realm.

All in all, I’m so glad that I took a risk and tried out for the team. The benefits I reaped are ones that I hope all girls have the opportunity to experience.