In These Trying Times Society Can Learn From Sports

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In sports, it’s all for one. Adopting that principle will heal America. 

America has become a country divided. I know we’ve had a violent past, but every generation can learn from that.

We can learn to respect each other.

From the moment we’re born, we are ingrained with different emotions. But how do you control emotions? How do you learn that it’s not always about you? It’s also about the person next to you.

Courtesy: The Sandlot

I was fortunate enough to play sports as a kid growing up in Houston. Through sports, I learned to listen, was taught to be humble, and developed focus. I grew up.

I grew up.

And I wasn’t alone. It happened to my teammates, too.

I’d walk down the street to a friend’s house and we’d go down to our own little sandlot. We’d meet up with more friends there and play a friendly game of baseball or touch football.

We’d play with kids of different races. We were all there for one thing — to have fun.

That pattern continued through high school–a diverse group of friends who played together. My teammates became an extended family, and I still remain close to many of them.

The only color that mattered to us was our school colors–orange and white in middle school, and red and white in high school. We come together to achieve a goal–a team goal that was bigger than any of us individually.

It was never about me as an athlete. It was about teammates. It was about US. They were my brothers and sisters. They had my back and I had theirs.

Society can learn from sports.

About Matthew Paris

I grew up an avid Houston sports fan. After graduating from Texas Tech University in Theater and English Literature I worked as a marketing rep and coach for I9 Sports, coaching baseball, flag football, soccer, and basketball. I’m currently with Austin Sports Academy as a marketing coordinator, baseball and football coach, and coordinator of middle school and high school open play nights. I’ve written three short films for Looknow Productions and have also written articles on film marketing, producing, and directing. I really enjoy writing about sports and being an active contributor to The Sports Column.



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