Author Tyree Beard is a Summer VISTA Cohort Leader serving at Up2Us Sports.
Whether you're a seasoned athlete or appreciate the power and importance of sports, there’s no denying that sports go beyond the barrier of physical effort. The mental aspect of sports leads to self-discovery and often drives the question of, “how much more can I take?” The life of an athlete is full of valuable lessons that extend far beyond the confines of a playing field or court. It teaches us that the same lessons learned on a field or court are transferable to offices and corporate buildings.
Many of our Summer VISTAs are current or former athletes who share common experiences that taught them lessons to navigate everyday life. These lessons have the potential to help other athletes, so I asked a few of my summer cohort VISTAs to share what sports has taught them.
Emily Anaya (Barrio Logan College Institute):
As an athlete, a big lesson I learned was appreciating failure. Failure is an essential part of success. Now, in my everyday life, I challenge myself without the fear of failing. I see failure as a learning opportunity to do better!
Berronte Ramirez, Bridge To Skate:
Being an athlete taught me not to ever give up no matter how hard the challenges may be. I use this in everyday life by always staying positive and being focused.
Sophia Patterson, Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.):
Being an athlete has taught me that dreams take work and that to be the person I want to be, I owe it to myself not to give up just because things get hard.
Benito Velez, Barrio Logan College Institute:
It has taught me discipline. Discipline is key in sports and in order to get better at your craft you must continue to work hard and be disciplined. The way sports have taught me this by attending practices, tournaments, etc while maintaining that love for the sport is the discipline I gained. I used these in my everyday life by applying the discipline I learned from sports to my work ethic. This is for any future jobs I pursue or my school work at the university level. It's extremely important to have discipline in your everyday life if you want to continue to improve.
Tyree, Emily, Berronte, Sophia and Benito will serve as Up2Us Sports Summer VISTAs from June - August 2023 thanks to support from AmeriCorps.
