Analysis of a True Athlete's Dedication

Sports and success in life have one major thing in common: dedication. Dedication is the foundation of success. Without it you won't care to accomplish anything. So what does this show us in sports? Teams can't play a season without dedication... and not just from the starters.

We all witness the dedication of starters year after year as we see them improve and think to ourselves how much extra work they put in to get to that point. Of course they work hard in the off season so they can help their team win more and achieve more personal glory. We talk about these players and see them play each week. These players must practice hard to get to where they are. There are also the players that work just as hard and it goes unnoticed to the fans. The lower tier players, the bench warmers, the practice squad. This applies to every level of athletics in every sport. There is always a group of people who don't get the reward for all the practice as the starters and substitutions get.

Dedication is what builds and athlete. Commitment, time, and effort make dedication to sports tremendous. Players will give anything to play their sports, even the bench. The bench players go through the same practices as everyone else, but don't get to play. They run every sprint, every typewriter, every drill as hard as they can to earn a spot to play. Tell me that's not dedication.

These players that may even realize they will never get their chance to shine. They play because they love the game and don't know what to do without it. That is why they show up to each and every practice and watch each game. They go home and play and practice a few extra hours. They run each sprint, each lap, each drill, sometimes even harder and faster than those ahead of them. These players don't play and practice to make themselves look better to fans, they play and practice to prove they belong on the team.

This happens on all levels of sport, too. Their are always those young kids just learning a sport and trying to get better by playing, but aren't nurtured by coaches because they don't have the natural talent of some other young kid who may not grow into anything. In high school, you always have the kid who lifts harder, runs harder, and plays with more energy and still doesn't get the playing time. You have the same with colleges and walk on players just trying to make the team, much less play. And also in the pros, their are the players in the minors, the D-leagues, the practice squads playing each day knowing it could be their last.

But do these players complain? Honestly, yes, but do they truly care. They complain about how hard the worked, but never about not loving the game they play. They won't even think of quitting. These are the players who go through this just because they love their game and any way they can continue to play they will do. They don't want to move in "reality" when they can still live their dream as an athlete for another day. After all, each second they spend playing is another memorable moment they will remember for years because of the fun they get out of just being able to play their sport. This is a true athlete with true dedication and love to his team.