“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The OPPORTUNITY to play.”
Mike Singletary is one of the legends of professional football. In his 12-season long career with the Chicago Bears, Singletary was a Pro Bowler 10 consecutive times and a Hall of Famer. He totaled 1,488 career tackles, became a Super Bowl champion, and was the 1985 and 1988 Defensive MVP/Player of the Year. This quote from Singletary shows the true reason why we play sports. The opportunity to play and be a part of a team is the important part, not winning and losing. It's about belonging to a group that has goals and aspirations bigger than the individual. Singletary really embodied this quote; he played 179 games in his career and only ever missed two games. He was a player who loved to play. This quote is about the true reason why people play sports: we play sports because they are fulfilling and fun.
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This quote from Singletary indicates that the level of competition is not as important as the opportunity to play. Whether it is the worst team in Division III or the pinnacle of college sports at the Division I level, the most important aspect is belonging to a team and playing a sport that an athlete is passionate about. It is important for athletes to remember to approach sports with gratitude for the opportunities. Don't forget to focus on the experience and appreciate the joy of belonging to a team, not on the outcome of the competition.
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* Originally published on June 12, 2023, by Ryan Wiley
