Attitude is Everything! By Mackenzie Laub
Being an athlete is not only the skills you show on the field but also the respect you give to the game. Many people think being a stand out athlete is just about skills and ability however there is much more to it. Attitude is everything!
From a young age my father has taught me that in sports you must respect the game, respect your teammates, and most importantly respect your coaches. A lot of players mistake coaching for criticism. When a coach is correcting you or makes a point of singling you out they are doing it to benefit your game. Coaching is only going to help improve your game in the long run.
Respecting a coach builds a long lasting relationship. Those relationships built at a young age will help with future opportunities. Whether that be a job recommendation or a college entrance essay, being able to refer back to these coaches will strengthen these opportunities.
Respecting the game and your teammates comes from within. This means having a positive attitude and good body language on the playing field. Moping around and acting as if you do not want to be there shows a lack of respect to your teammates.
Every time you step onto the field you should act like it is your last. Someone is always watching you whether that be a college coach, a mom on the sideline, or a random person walking by practice. Someone is always watching your every move and things do not go unnoticed. If you throw your helmet after striking out, someone is watching. If you miss the game winning shot and you hang your head, someone is watching. If you cross the finish line after someone and you scream in anger because you lost, someone is watching.
Everywhere you go you are constantly being watched. Once again attitude is everything!
When playing sports, having a positive attitude in general is very important. Saying that you do not want to be at practice or being negative towards brings the team morale down. Starting every practice off on the right foot makes for a more positive attitude. When an entire team is working well together and everyone has a similar positive attitude it makes for greater team success. The more positive attitude put together makes an even more successful team.
I understand it is not easy to have a positive attitude 100% of the time. It is a continuous battle of being mindful of your behavior and reaction to things that happen on the field. For me I am constantly working to improve my attitude on and off the field because in the long run this will make me a better person.
When all members of the team have this positive outlook the better the team will be. A more positive outlook leads to staying motivated. As an athlete it can be difficult sometimes to stay motivated, but with encouraging teammates it is an easy task at hand.
Try your best to stay positive in all situations and always remember that attitude is everything!
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization,
employer or company.
