Closing Remarks

 

“5 Seconds Left in the Game Clock…”

 

As years go by, and the more team settings you are put in, you reflect back on your wins and losses. You see the strengths in your wins and determine how you can keep pushing to greatness. Also, your weaknesses on what went wrong, and what you can do better next time. Not only just for wins, your losses as well. The moment the game clock strikes to 0:00, you are in two different mindsets. The end of it all is the most reflective moment of time, as the time duration is over and you’ve put everything on the floor.

Noticing and, being attentive to your physical, technical and mental development, pushes you to become the ideal athlete for yourself. Winning is the mentality. It puts your self-awareness is a position where you respond to the outcome of your efforts. The effort can impact so many external factors, that their influence can affect your performance.

For an example in basketball, imagine being a Division 1 athlete in a sports-driven school, like Duke University. Not only you are the star of the team, you are likely being lottery pick in the NBA draft. For yourself, your work ethic, talent, hard work is what drives to be the best. You have thousands of fans who cheer for you when win, but you don’t perform well or underachieve, the world turns upside down. Fans start booing, your stock value drops, and media rips you apart for being “all hype”. Now it’s a mental game. The moments the world can’t see you, its your team that you practice, workout with that help you become who you are. It builds a family bond and relationship. They lift you, they understand your struggle, and do what they can/best for you to get back on your feet. No selfishness, so you see that there’s a genuine admiration. All members of the team, have no toxic influence in the team and understand what they want the outcome to be at the end of their basketball season… to become the NCAA Basketball Champion.

Sports is much more than being active, and organized sports is much more than being on a team. What you learn individually, and what you learn as a team, makes you translate these skills and strengths into the real world. Everyone likes a competitor, but everyone loves a winner. Being on a team builds upon yourself on a level, only members of a team will understand. Why good, when you can be GREAT!

(leanstrategiesinternational, n.d.)

Opinion – “how I really feel”

 

“There’s no I in TEAM!”

by Faraz Ahmed

 

We’ve all heard the phrase before: “There’s no I in team.” That phrase is given to the selfish – ball hog member of the team. Not because of their consumption of handling the game in their hands, but its given because they’re becoming their own “team”, within the team itself.  There are many things other than actual skill that makes a player important to the team. Attributes that some players posses, and some players lack. Through organized sports, these attributes are amplified or developed in the right setting and in some cases, the wrong environment will lead to catastrophe.

(whatthedoost, n.d.)

As an athlete, you understand what it takes to win. The grind for the moments for you to shine, the off season where you work on yourself to prove yourself, all are embedded into the DNA. Some embedded attributes you posses early are motivation, what achievements you see in the palm of your hands that can attainable; determination, what drives you to become who you are or want to be; and self-confidence, having great assurance about your skill and judgement in situations where your teammates need you the most. These core values are what makes an athlete mentally stronger than the next. Other attributes include having strong communication and team working skills, and having a better overall vision, physically or mentally on or off the court. With all the ingredients of the recipe are present, you can always strive for greatness.

(reddit, n.d.)

What organized sports does to a person, is not only puts them in a situation for themselves to grow, but to grow as a team. The team grows, you grow, and you WITHIN the team grow. There is a fine line of individual talent, individuals talent withing the team, and the overall team talent. There has to be the right balance for all three. Ego’s are stopped at the door, its no more about YOU anymore. It becomes a lifestyle, as there are “teams” everywhere in life. Your family, your co-workers, your peers etc. You represent so much more than yourself and that helps you build character.

(thenewsnigeria, June 2016)

You relate everyday situations to some part of sport that you experienced. You use this knowledge on how to tackle new situations. You have that competitive edge, and the life of sports humbles a person. At one point you can feel you are at the top of the world by winning and achieving your goals, but when you’ve lost, have been injured, or even been fired or demoted, it does not feel good. All your hard work, or the work you have to put in more to recover can feel like a hurdle you can’t jump. But it is possible. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! You go back to the moment of square one, and from there the process starts again. You put in twice the work, and not because it will guarantee your success, but you as an athlete you learn that giving up is never an option.

Lessons in life are similar to the ones on the gridiron, the hardwood or the turf. The basics of one, correspond with the other, and improving attributes in each situation will help the other no matter what.

“3… 2… 1… GAME ON!”

My name is Faraz Ahmed. I am an athletic ambivert, who is considered to be wise beyond my own years. Through experience, and knowledge, I’ve learned a lot of through my own and others perspective. I am a business student, and on my spare time I am huge follower of sports. Not only do I watch sports, I’ve been apart of many teams throughout my life, so I understand the passion, the hustle, the grit, that is embedded to an athlete’s DNA.

The reason I’ve chosen this topic is because I’ve been heavily influenced by organized sports. I’ve played on the volleyball, basketball and cricket team throughout my years in high school. I’ve also played in a basketball league during my middle school years, and I am currently apart of a Men’s Basketball League right now. I’ve learned a lot of skills from the life of sports, as that has translated into skills needed to be successful in life. Those who have not had the opportunity to participate in this part of team structure, can learn other ways of team dynamics but being apart of a group aiming for specific vision, is something that cannot be just learned by itself.

The reason you, the reader, will be benefiting from these blog posts is that you will want to join a sport team as soon you finish reading each post. With experience, and credible information, you will be put into a perspective where you will understand internal and external benefits. It’ll make you believe that by joining a lifestyle of being a part of organized sports, it is a whole different way of life that will help you achieve goals that you set upon yourself!

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that’s what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” — Vince Lombardi (above picture)