Energy

Playing a sport and loving a sport are two entirely different things. There are a lot of seniors and a couple of juniors. The juniors don't like basketball at all, but go out for the girls and one of the coaches. When people ask the juniors if they want to go out next year, they say "I don't know", because they hate the sport but love the people in it except for some of the coaches. So enjoying and 'living for the sport' is entirely different than just playing the sport. This is true for every sport.

There are many different things that can either make a person 'love the sport' or 'play the sport'. This can be the coaching, personality of the girls, and your own dividual mind set. The type of coaching can determine whether the athlete likes playing the sport or loves the sport. Most of the time if the coach does not give respect to his players, then it is extremely hard to return that respect back. You will find out that in the beginning of the season, it is super easy to give respect, but if it is a long season like basketball where the coach doesn't try to give respect then it is even harder to give it back. Athletes want coaches that will actually 'coach' the player instead of yelling and degrading them when they make a mistake. Coaches should always explain and tell the athlete what they are doing when they make a mistake to help them fix it next time. Coaches aren't there to be your best friend at any means, but they should be there to talk to you or ask for advice and act as a mentor to his or her players. There are a lot of these coaches around, but many of them are the complete opposite where athletes are absolutely terrified to make a mistake.

To love a sport you have to have the right mindset towards the sport. Girls, especially me has a mindset where I think to just get through the season. I count down the days until basketball is over for the year. This is the complete opposite of what your mind set needs to be. I have this mindset, because I feel like us players get treated like complete shit and I am the kind of person that will stick up and back anyone up, because I know where I stand on the team and already know what sport I want to succeed at. I believe I give the respect to coach, but I will back anyone up when I think that they need it. It's not fair to anyone playing the sport to get treated like they are lower than everyone else. In some cases, its not just players that get treated like crap and need to have a good mindset, its the coaches too. Some coaches think they are better and higher than their staff, so they will make sure their staff knows it too. I have noticed this with high school sports. This is probably the thing that pisses me off the most, because they are working together and not just one person running the entire program. I am the kind of person that will stick up for coaches too. I do not like people that treat other human beings like they are nothing. We are in the 21st century, things need to change; whether that is in sports, life or in the work field. Coaches that get treated like this need to have the mindset of positivity.