How Sports Built My Confidence (And Still Does)
Start to Finish:
High School Sports Girl Era. I played in high school - volleyball, basketball, & softball. I got moved up from JV to Varsity, I was voted team captain & I even held the homerun record (until my sister beat it). But I also got bullied for getting moved up, accused for stuffing my bra (I DID) & when I beat that homerun record— on the bus home from the game, I found out my boyfriend cheated on me with my teammate. The truth is as much as sports made me feel invincible, they also made me feel worthless. I remember thinking if I were just good at sports my dad would be proud, boys would like me & girls would want to be my friends. The truth is only one of those happened for me.
I’ll give you a hint - My dad wasn’t proud of me & the homecoming king didn’t leave his toxic girlfriend for me.
But I did build the most incredible bonds with the girls playing alongside me. Teammates, Besties, Day 1’s.
The Confidence Carryover, those sports years taught me how to: Speak up for myself, trust the girls that were always there for me, & to f**** the haters. I mean f*** the haters not “to fuck” actually both. If I told my 17-year-old self today that it gets better, that she can do everything she wants to do & she will motivate and encourage young girls to do the same she would quite literally laugh in my face.
Still in the Game (Just Different Now). Now I’m all about golfing my best 9, catching the winning touchdown at my intermural football game & doom scrolling through Instagram to try and find if the Meg the Stallion/ Klay Thompson dating rumors are true (THEY ARE <3) My point is, you grow up. Your knees start to hurt a little more, running a mile under 10 doesn’t come easy & your 10-year-old cousin beats you at P-I-G… by like a lot. This doesn’t mean you aren’t your washed up it means you learned.
She’s Still In There. I’m not in a uniform anymore, but that high school sports girl still lives in me. She taught me to show up, move with purpose, and take pride in trying. And now? She shows up every time I’m met with a hard decision, I’m cheering on my friends, or hitting the last cup in beer pong.
So yeah, sports gave me confidence — and the best part? They still do.
