Sports have the unique ability of bringing both the best and worst out of people. Moreover, sports often expose the true colors of certain individuals. In addition, athletics can take one’s mind off of the classroom. Over the course of my life, sports have played a crucial role and have taught me many lessons that I still value to this day.
The following consists of special sports stories from my past coupled with the lessons or morals I’ve taken from them.
• In a middle school basketball game, my team had all but won the game. The team had dominated from start to finish and we found ourselves up 15 points with a little less than 5 minutes remaining. With a large lead, our coach emptied the bench. Slowly the other team cut into the lead. Ultimately, the opposition was down 2 points with less than a second left. The opposing coach then called a timeout to draw up a play for his team to execute. The other team would inbound the ball at mid-court to their starting point guard. He then heaved a shot from half court that somehow found the bottom of the net.
Moral- Don’t underestimate an underdog!
• The following story took place when I was 6 years old in a recreational soccer match. It was pouring rain and thus the field was extremely muddy. On a breakaway, I broke to the right of the opposing goalie. As he began to shuffle his feet to my right, I then cut the ball left for a shot. The shot had beaten the keeper; however, the ball had not found the back of the net. How so? Well, a huge mud puddle had actually stopped the ball from entering the goal. The goalie proceeded to pick up the ball and punted it back into play.
Moral- Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good!
• Finally, a miracle occurred on a tennis court a couple of years ago. In a high school match, I found myself down 7-1 in an 8 game pro- set. In all honesty, I was ready to accept defeat and go home. Nonetheless, my opponent started to make some careless errors and I slowly crept back into the match. Ultimately, I came back to win. My opponent had not given up by any means. Rather, his level of play had simply dropped and I had taken advantage.
Moral- Expect the unexpected!
Once again, I treasure the experiences I’ve had with sports. While I am not the most athletic, I truly enjoy spending time with my friends and getting my mind off the headache that schoolwork can become. Also, sports have taught me some valuable lessons. One should never underestimate or overestimate their opponent. A David vs. Goliath match up occurs more often than one might expect. Regardless of what side you’re on, do not misjudge the opposition. Athletes must also expect the unexpected. There are some occurrences in sports that are just so strange.
Now go out there and make your own sports memories!
Sensationalcubs77
