Integrity

Sports teach you character. The wins are fun but they don’t always teach us integrity. Playing well is awesome in the moment but this doesn’t always mean we are learning to live with integrity.

In truth it’s the hard challenges mixed with the little wins that help us chip away at developing our character. It’s the feeling you get from practicing extra on your own so that when you get to the game you are confident no matter what happens. It’s cheering from the bench for your teammates’ success knowing that it isn’t really about you. It’s showing up everyday no matter the hardships going on in your life to prove to yourself you are the guy or girl who shows up. It’s doing everything you can to be your best self to serve others and not even about the game or points.

Why do we need integrity or character? Because it is guaranteed their will be failures, pain, and unfairness in our lives. That is just the way it goes. The real measure of the player is how they show up regardless of what is going on. The confidence to know that they will work hard no matter the circumstance.

So if your struggling on the court, could this actually be a good thing? How else would you learn, grow, or chip away at developing your character?