On and Off Campus Blog: Finding the fun in sports
By: Hannah Rosado ’26
In a world where everyone strives for the best, the joy within mediocrity is often overlooked.
Sports are always seen as competition, a game or workout where you must excel, but I’d argue
that sometimes sports can just be pleasant hobbies–a way of being healthy and improving.
Sports have been the absolute bane of my existence. For ages, my parents tried to sign me
up for all sorts of sports. Some sports I’ve done include dance, gymnastics, soccer, field hockey,
cross country, volleyball, and hockey. Of all the sports, I only enjoy hockey, but not because I’m
good at it.
I quit most of the sports I’ve tried out of insecurity, thinking I was the worst and that I’d
never be good enough. With gymnastics, I was doing really well, but I could not do a cartwheel
for the life of me (and still can’t). So, while all my friends got to level up, I had to relearn the
basics with girls all a year younger than me.
In cross country, I felt nothing but pain and exhaustion and thought running sucked. In
my last year of cross country, the coaches asked all the captains to stand, and then me too. They
proceeded to say, “If you want to run fast, run with the captains. If you want a nice leisurely jog,
then run with Hannah.”
Maybe it was my natural-born leadership, or I was just that bad at running, but I knew
then I would never run a race again—I would only run for the sake of running. Finally, I could
enjoy practicing with friends and never have to feel bad about myself because I wasn’t good
enough to be competitive. That’s when I started to enjoy running. I had two good friends and an
army of fifth graders who adored me, and they made every practice enjoyable. Not everything
needs to be a race or a battle of skill, some things can just be fun.
I have tried, failed, and quit many sports throughout my life, but those experiences
weren’t wasted. There is value in trying something and learning you don’t like it. There is value
in learning you can’t always be the best. I have also learned competitive environments aren’t
beneficial for me. The hobbies I’ve picked up are for me to enjoy, not compete in.
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