Teammates

Today's blog was written by Erin Geraghty. Erin is a senior psychology major at Notre Dame and a student in the Social Foundations of Coaching, a course taught by Play Like a Champion Founding Director Clark Power and Program Director Kristin Sheehan.

Teams are a great model for the communities we will be a part of and the relationships we will form throughout our life. Teams highlight the importance of cooperation and hard work, and show us how to foster strong relationships and support networks. As a freshman on my high school’s varsity cross country team, I spent very little time running with my classmates. Instead, I found myself spending hours running and talking with older girls. At first, I was skeptical about being away from people my own age and I felt out-of-place, but a few girls in particular took me under their wings, made me feel welcomed, and taught me a lot.

 

The individuals who I found myself spending hours every day with became so much more than just my teammates. They allowed me be who I was and they affirmed that person. This loving and supportive community made me feel comfortable and allowed me to grow in confidence, as well as in my understanding of what true friendship and leadership looks like. They led me by example and made me feel like a part of a rare and wonderful tight-knit community. We shared our successes and disappointments and our ups and downs daily.

Far too many tragedies rocked my high school community during my time there, namely the death of four students by suicide. After another friend was taken from us far too early, I wanted to grab my running shoes and an iPod and just run by myself until I physically couldn’t anymore. I just wanted to run away from all the hurt, all the mess, all the problems. However, looking at my teammates, I knew it was my time to step up, to assume the caring position my friends had held for me in previous years and amidst similarly trying times, and to live up to what it meant to be a captain. So instead of driving home that day, I headed to practice to be with my teammates. We talked when we wanted to, we cried when we needed to, we sprinted up hills and screamed on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, trying to get it all out. It didn’t really matter what we did, it just mattered that we did it together.

all pictures courtesy of Erin Geraghty

My days of running on a formal team are over, but I still feel as the presence of my teammates when I run. I will always carry with me the lessons and values they taught me. When I feel overwhelmed or helpless, I drop everything, lace up my running shoes, and head out. Forest Gump wisely stated “Now, it used to be I ran to get where I was going. I never thought it would take me anywhere.” I couldn’t agree more. I started running with the hopes that I might make a few friends and get in shape for lacrosse, but I didn’t know that running would become an outlet for me, that it could renew me in a way that not much else can, and that it would teach me how to act as a “teammate” to friends, family, and all those I encounter throughout my life.