What could the 400 meter dash and the first year of law school possibly have in common? One is over in a minute; the other feels, at least while you’re in it, like it will never end. One is largely a physical pursuit, while the other requires internalizing vast amounts of knowledge. However, the lessons I learned through running have pulled me through law school, and for that, I thank Title IX.
Like a lot of other young women, I’ve been an athlete for the majority of my life. I started playing field hockey in elementary school (second graders running with wooden sticks—a good idea??). In high school, I joined the track team on a whim, and surprised myself when I turned out to be a fairly talented runner for my little town. I went on to have a successful track “career” through four years of high school and two years of college. In fact, one of the reasons I chose the college I did is that I wanted to run, but didn’t care to share a weight room with boys. (Silly? Maybe. But it seemed like a good justification at the time.) I credit track with keeping me focused at college and relatively out of trouble.
When I reflect on the lessons I’ve learned through sports, I can’t help but think that I wouldn’t have made it through my first year of law school alive without them—lessons like:
- Your health is more important. I had a relay teammate in high school who reminded us of this during every pre-race huddle. She meant, winning is good, but preventing injuries is better. As I’ve moved through college, working life, and on to law school, I remind myself often that there are things bigger and more important than my on-paper success, including my own physical and mental well-being. Sometimes in law school you just have to take a nap, and that’s OK.
