By: Elle Shi, Grade 8
Whenever you think of the word sports, what is the first thing that pops up in your mind? Are athletes competing on a field? Or is it spending time with your friends every Sunday to watch sports? A sports community is made up of not only the athletes playing the games, but also the people who support them. Sport communities are made up of teammates, coaches, families, supporters, and even competitors. Each aspect of the community contributes something different and this is what creates a community that is just as important as the sport.
Coaches and mentors are an important part of the community. They teach athletes the skills needed to perform, and their influence can go beyond the sport. Coaches teach discipline, patience, responsibility, and how to respond to success and failure. Their guidance can help athletes grow competitors and moral people as they also teach sportsmanship.
Families and supporters also play a major role. They might spend hours driving athletes to practices and encouraging them after a difficult performance, and definitely more. Their support reminds athletes that their value is not based entirely on whether they win or lose, but more on improvement.
Finally, competitors and the social community help make sports meaningful. Opponents challenge athletes to improve, while spectators and fans create excitement and a sense of belonging. Even though competitors may be trying to defeat each other, they often share a mutual respect because they understand the same dedication, challenges, wins, and losses.
Ultimately, a sports community is built on other aspects rather than just mainly competition and the athletes that make it up. It is a network of people who encourage, challenge, teach, and support one another. Although winning is a very satisfying outcome of sports, athletes also agree that the relationships formed along the way are what motivates them to improve and make the sport meaningful to them.
