If there’s one thing the playoffs for any sport reveals to us, it’s this: the amount of passion and emotion running through athletes’ bodies can be paramount, sometimes even reducing them to tears. Whether they’re tears of sadness or joy, the power sport holds among individuals is a feeling only they can describe and for others, it is difficult to understand.
I recently thought about this while watching a few NHL Playoffs and Champions League soccer games. It’s not hard to see how much passion players have for their respective game as a quick snapshot after a missed chance or a tough defeat is enough evidence. But, can you actually imagine what it’s like being in their shoes?
I’m sure there are many athletes who aspire to pursue their love of a certain sport at a professional level (I know I did), and can envision being on the ice, field, track or ring competing at the highest level. To them it’s more than just a game or event and sometimes it’s not even about winning.
That’s one thing I believe separates the type of people who are truly born to play the game at that level and those who wanted to be born to play it. It’s easy to fall in love with the idea of getting paid to play a sport, being recognized and embracing a type of lifestyle that is constantly lauded as better than your average Joe lifestyle. The hard part is getting to that level or understanding that lifestyle is not for you.
I fall into the latter category as prior to getting into the field I work in, I was pursuing a career in professional soccer. It’s not something I talk about too often because it feels so long ago, but I see how some athletes react to things that happen in sports and I sympathize with them when they get emotional.
There can be nothing more heartbreaking for an athlete than having a bad game and losing out on something you wanted so badly. However, like I alluded to earlier, the consolation doesn’t come until after the fact when you realize that you won by doing everything you could have done to win and knowing there wasn’t a single shred of a doubt in your mind about not succeeding.
For people with the ‘win or bust’ mentality, I applaud you for your determination to succeed, but remind you that losing is part of sport. The way you react after a loss will give you a good indication of what will happen the next time out. I’m not saying I agree with the whole ‘everyone’s a winner’ speech, because I don’t. I don’t like to lose and anybody who’s played against me in a simple five-a-side scrimmage during practice can attest to that.
What I’m saying is sport can conjure up emotions certain individuals wouldn’t show otherwise, myself included. I’ve been known to act like something akin to the Hulk when I’m on the pitch during a competitive match; but off the field, it’s a different picture. Playing a game you’re passionate about really can reveal certain things about your own character you might not have known.
Watching Chelsea’s Fernando Torres score a late goal against Barcelona (so sweet) in the semi-finals of the Champions League soccer tournament or Dustin Brown from the Los Angeles Kings celebrate knocking off the top seeded Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs, was a great reminder sport is so much more for players and fans alike.
For those who constantly catch themselves saying, “I don’t know anything about sports,” I’d encourage you at least to try paying attention to it, especially during the post-season, or even attempt playing a sport you’ve always wanted to play. That’s not to say you need to up and join a full-on contact sport or one that requires a lot of physical stamina, but something that creates a hunger to win. You may find it will inspire you to be hungry in other parts of your life too.
