I currently read a sports article in “Teen Ink” that filled me with discouragement beyond belief. It was about how winning is everything to an athlete. As an athlete myself I will admit, winning is wonderful, though it is by far not EVERYTHING. A true athlete should have a passion for the sport, not just a passion for winning; an athlete should have the drive and perseverance to become more skillful not just to win, but for the pure enjoyment of the game. Winning should not be the only reason for an athlete to compete and if by chance it is, then that person is hopeless. No competitor will always win. The athlete that only plays a sport for the glory of victory is just wasting their time.

It takes much more than the ability to win for a person to become a true athlete. Respect, integrity, leadership, sportsmanship, and responsibility are some traits that one should possess to deserve the right to be called a true player of the game. Even if an athlete loses all the time, having these qualities will only help them at becoming a winner in life. At times life can be looked at like a game, sometimes a person is going to win and sometimes they are going to lose. So in a sport, if someone believes the concept “Winning is everything,” then most likely they are going to have the same view on life, which will only lead to failure.

A passion for the sport is what keeps a true athlete playing the game.




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Sarah Dawn Heath