Probably the most important thing I learned while playing football, and watching it, was that one mistake can blow the game. Not even big mistakes like fumbles or missed catches, even something as small as not cheering loud enough.
Let me explain. My first few games on the football team, I sat on the sidelines feeling sorry for myself because I wasn't played that much. We lost our first two games in shut-outs, 35-0 and 3-0.
I didn't cheer because nobody else was, and when I tried, it was halfhearted, and gained confused looks from my fellow teammates. Why? Because there was nothing to cheer for, or at least that's what I told myself.
And then we won... And of course I cheered. Why wouldn't I? We had won! I shouted so loud that one of my teammates jokingly stated, "I didn't know you were a shouter." No, he didn't, because I hadn't shouted or cheered. I hadn't done my part. After that game, it didn't matter if we put up a win or a lose, I cheered, and guess what? We began to win.
I would joke that it was because of my shouting, and I think it was a little bit, because I was finally doing my part. This translates into everyday life. Your team is your family, your co-workers, or your friends, it's anyone you work with on anything; And when you don't do your part, the project, be it Thanksgiving dinner or a project at work, fails, and you lose.
And eventually, I started to look forward to cheering for my team. I made it my goal to start a chant. I achieved that goal in the very last game, the championship... In a lose, that being said, did we really lose?
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