Today's blog post was written by Rachel Sexton. Rachel is a senior Accounting major at the University of Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching course taught by Play Like a Champion founding director Clark Power and Kristin Sheehan. Rachel is also a member of the Women's Lacrosse Team at Notre Dame.
Bart Giamatti, former commissioner of Major League Baseball referred to sport
as “Junk Food for the Soul.” What does that really mean though? Picture a
football game, a Notre Dame football game, a stadium of strangers bonded together
for a moment in time to watch their team strive for victory.
photo from Rachel Sexton
Look at the fans, the cheering, the coaching, and
competition. It’s overwhelmingly amazing. The smallest play results in an
unbelievable uproar from the crowd. This moment in time connects the crowd and
brings them back to a time in their life where they competed for something
bigger than themselves.
It truly is special being able to play for something bigger
than yourself, and working hard on a team. The pregame nerves; one-goal games
and tight races… when the competition is so close you feel as though life
itself is on the line. Even losing is special, because losing gives you the grit to
get back out there; losing motivates you, stops you from becoming complacent
and keeps you humble. But let's be honest, who doesn’t like winning? Winning is when the endless hours of work you’ve put in become a reality. The celebrations,
giving hugs, sweating, crying… and that feeling of euphoria: the winning goal,
the final point, the touch at the wall, the gut-wrenching ‘lean’ over the
finish line. That ‘in the moment’ feeling of euphoria seems to only exists in
sports.
photo from Rachel Sexton
It’s not only the big things, but also the
smaller details that have helped to shape our views and memories in sport. The
fist pump & jump celebrations – the assist no one saw coming – hustle plays
– high-fives – when your teammate scores his/her first –crushing the run test or
at least surviving. We miss the parent hugs after the competition… because
they’re always proud of you, even if you fell on your face (metaphorically or
physically). The moments we spent warming up, cooling down and working with
teammates: the people you fight with and
fight for. When you see the little boy or girl who looks up to you like
you’re a hero… hoping to be you one day; because you got to live out your
dream, competing in the sport that you love.
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