Sports-Related Talk

9/22/09
by Miss May Reah C. Pasayloon

Susan Casey once said and I quote "Sports remain a great metaphor for life's more difficult lessons. It was through athletics that many of us first came to understand that fear can be tamed; that on a team the whole is more than the sum of its parts; and that the ability to be heroic lies, to a surprising degree, within."

(Greetings...)

Once in a while, we go out of the four walls of our classrooms to engage in sports. This is for us to unwind but if you come to think of it games and sports greatly symbolize our day to day life. We may not play basketball, volleyball, chess and the like every hour but the values that we practice once we participate in games and sports are there. As Donna de Varona puts it "The values learned on the playing field--how to set goals, endure, take criticism and risks, become team players, use our beliefs, stay healthy and deal with stress--prepare us for life."

Yes we have to be goal-oriented individuals. Otherwise, if we do not have goals we will not reach what we really aim. Next, we must have physical, mental, and emotional endurance. Once we play, we will be exhausted but if we are determined to reach our goal, we have to persevere. Then, we have to know how to take criticisms and risks. This is not easy to do. People have something to say for or against us no matter what we do and no matter what risks we take but if we want to win we have to accept that criticisms are part and parcel of the game and facing risks is the challenge that once we overcome them, these risks make us a better individual. Moreover, we have to know how to become team players. We are not an island and life is supposed to be shared in order for us to find its meaning . Plus, we have to use our beliefs. If we believe that what we do is good and if we are not stepping on others, then, we have to stand for what we believe. Finally, we have to stay healthy and we have to deal with stress. Being healthy and dealing well with stress lead us to have a long life. So you see, it is only once in a while that we have sports-related activities in school but the wisdom that these activities give us are enough for us to live our life to the fullest.

Because it is a reality that there will be winners and losers, you have to know that when you join each activity you are already a winner. Why? Because you opted to go out of your shells and try your best. You only become a real loser when you quit. As long as you play the game, and you play it right, whatever your ranking is – 1st, 2nd, 3rd , etc the wisdom that you gain out of those games are far more than what any trophies and medals could bring...

A pleasant day to all of you!