I am preparing for an upcoming talk to a middle school. The talk centers around what I learned as an athlete, but I’m also including feedback from current professional, college, and high school athletes, as well as athletes who competed years ago.

Thought I would share a couple quotes from what they learned. Enjoy!

“I learned that I have to fuel my body and mind with food because if I don’t give it healthy foods, I can’t focus and am not able to perform at my best. I know I have to eat and eat well to perform in competition AND in the classroom.” Female, Gymnast

“I learned what it means to be mentally tough. To know my weaknesses and be OK asking for help.” Male, Lacrosse player

“I learned that I am not going to be perfect when I try something new. I am going to fall down over and over, but have to keep getting back up and trying again. Sports taught me to believe in myself and that struggling is normal and will make me stronger in the end.”  Male, Basketball Player

“I learned that even if I did not do well in a competition, I was still the same person. My results were not a reflection of who I was as a person. That was a tough lesson to learn because so much emphasis is on our ‘scores’. Once I took that pressure off, my performance and my ability to enjoy the game  improved.” Female, Tennis Player