Self-Confidence is Key

Ok I want to talk about this quote for a minute. I've struggled with confidence as a player and I think most if not all who play sports do. I'm going to tell you something though. There is ALWAYS going to be someone whos better than you. Not necessarily in your school, but somewhere in the world, someone is better than you. If you focus on your mistakes, on how you screwed up, you're only going to play worse. I know this from experience. I never play my best, or even good,  when I am worried about how I am going to mess up next. You owe it to your team to play good, so just forget your mistakes and do better next time.

You're never going to have a perfect game. Sure you might play well, but it will never be perfect. You'll never make 100% of shots, you'll never get 100% pass completion, you'll never get a perfect dig 100% of the time. The point is, you'll nevr be 100%. That said, it doesn't mean you shouldn't give 100%. You should always try your hardest. If you're not trying your hardest, you're still your own worst enemy.

When you accept that you're not going to be perfect, then you can forget all of the mistakes you make and just try your best. Just because you're not a perfect player doesn't mean you aren't succesful. Success is helping your team with your strongest attribute in the game. Whether it be shooting, defense, running back, digging, hitting, goalkeeping, or anything else, if you've done your best for that game, you've succeeded. Just know that whenever you try your best and forget about your mistakes you can play to your full potential and gain self-confidence.

Love,

MaShayla  :)

Here is an article about how to gain self-confidence and making sure you're not hurting someone you mean to be encouraging: https://www.competitivedge.com/self-confidence

So much more than FUN

Recently not being able to do anything, for any sport, has really opened my eyes as to why I play. I had ankle surgery on April 21 and can now slowly start to get back into playing. I have been really missing basketball. I never realized why I played, I just played for the fun. Granted fun is one of the most important aspects of playing a game, but there are so many more reasons as to why I play. I play to feel the team bonding, and to become closer with my teammates.

As I sat on the bench watching my teammates play in this weekends tournament I realized how much I longed to be on the court. Not necessarily to play, but to help my teammates pick themselves up after they miss a shot, or make a bad pass. Yelling "it's alright you got it next time" from the bench isn't the same as grabbing your teammate and telling them face to face that you know they will be perfect next time. I longed to help be a leader on the court and help get the team organized into the plays that Coach was calling out. I missed getting coached on the court and sometimes getting yelled at. But most of all, I just missed not being able to make the memories on the court with my team.

Luckily I can be apart of the team bonding and leadership this upcoming weekend and next week. We have another tournament and then a team camp that we go to every summer. When the Dr. told me I was 4-5 weeks ahead of schedule and I would be able to play in these two camps, I didn't know what to say. I was so overjoyed I almost started crying. I called Coach Rees and told him I would be able to play. When I got to practice that night I told my other coach, Coach Moretti, and she was thrilled I would be attending the team camp.

While I had to miss out in this weekends tournament I learned something. I learned why I play, and it's not just for the fun. It's for the memories, the leadership abilities you learn, life learning opportunities, and just the ability to talk with my team and decide what's best for that moment against
Our opponent.  I'm so grateful that I can get back to the sport I love and the team I love!

Love,

MaShayla 

Unity

Sure defense and offense are important, but I think once we have those things under control TEAM UNITY is the most important thing. Today my basketball coach called us (the varsity) in for a meeting after school to talk about team unity. I understood why he called the meeting. We all have those groups that we hang out in and warm up with during practice or before games, and that's fine, but we also need to have some sort of positive relationship with the rest of our team. You don't have to be best friends, but just say hi to them when you pass in the hall or in the grocery store. Make each team member feel welcome (not that our team doesn't do that). 

"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork, and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved."- Mattie J.T. Stepanek. My team has great teamwork, but I do feel like we could collaborate just a bit more with each other.

Another quote I like says: "Where there is unity, there is always victory."- Pubilius Syrus. This quote just struck me. You can have all of the talent in the world, but if you don't act as a team, you won't play as a team. If you don't play as a team, you won't win games. There can be a team that has absolutely no talent and a team that has all of the talent in the world. If the no talent team plays as a team and the talented team doesn't, the talented team will not win. In basketball all 5 people on the court, and everyone on the bench matters. When one messes up, let them know it's OK! This applies to other sports as well. Every single person, playing or not matters on your teams. When you have unity you are almost unstoppable. Just think if you had amazing talent AND unity. You're team would be unstoppable. 

Although being able to play defense and offense is important, team unity is probably the most important thing in sports. Be the one to pick others up and set an example so others start talking more and lifting each other up with you! Pretty soon, you will have a team that can not be stopped because you have such great unity and aren't afraid to communicate with one another. :)

Love,
MaShayla  :)

Sports aren't Just For Fun

Sports aren't just sports. They are life lessons for every single person involved in them. They teach you to work well will other, and to be kind to someone, even if you don't always get along.
They teach you to work hard!
I get so tired of people saying "Oh... you don't have a job??"
No, I don't have a job, and I'm not dissing on those who work but no, I don't have a job because I spend my time on sports, which teach me things that are just as valuable as if I were to have a job. Sports take commitment, just like a job. They take team work, and trust. You have to trust your teammates to make it to practice and games, to ensure that they are doing their best to make you and themselves better in practice. "Sports do not build character. They reveal it." -John Wooden. The sports show if you are loyal, dependable, and responsible, especially with keeping your grades high enough to be able to compete.
Sports teach you to be kind and help people up or apologize, even if you feel like you did nothing wrong or hate the person, especially in basketball when you get a foul called on you, and I'm sure wrestlers and football players could say the same when they are done with their matches and games.
People who participate in sports know just as much about the world as those who work, the only difference, we aren't getting paid. We choose to go with our passion and be around people who we eventually learn to love. My young women's leader always says "You can fall in love with a fence post if you spend enough time with it." It's true. Even if you are worst enemies, you come to love those who are on your team.
Sports aren't just for fun, they teach you valuable life lessons to use. Sports can help you in so many ways that some people just don't realize.
So I may not work, but I can tell you I work my butt off in practice and work my butt for my team and myself.

Love,

MaShayla