I find this line of thinking in relation to sports so fascinating because I have been an athlete my whole life, felt a childlike love for the art of sport. But as time wore on and competition and the possibility for sport to become “work” came into play, that love and curiosity began to fade just a bit. It became more of a race and competition against others rather than what I grew up on.
What sport did you play, Cole? But I completely understand where you’re coming from. It’s almost like the purity of sport, the joy that comes from simply engaging with it, starts to erode when the stakes shift over time and as you progress. What was once about discovery, play, and personal growth becomes more focused on winning, ranking, and external validation. For me, it’s important to find ways to reconnect with the original joy again. I played tennis for 6 years growing up and while my tennis days are over, I started playing pickleball at the beginning of this year and it’s been so fun to learn a new sport and play just for the fun and connection to others. It brings so much joy to my life!
A few different ones, baseball, basketball, golf, hockey, track. Now I run longer distance, practice yoga, and dance. I’m finding that sense of discovery and play again with the yoga and dance especially, and it’s so needed.
That’s amazing :) Embracing the fun and unknown of the journey seems to be the way ☺️
This article is so relatable! I love the quote from parents about never looking “up, down, outward, and around!” That’s so concise but so wise!
Thank you for your support my friend. 💜
I find this line of thinking in relation to sports so fascinating because I have been an athlete my whole life, felt a childlike love for the art of sport. But as time wore on and competition and the possibility for sport to become “work” came into play, that love and curiosity began to fade just a bit. It became more of a race and competition against others rather than what I grew up on.
What sport did you play, Cole? But I completely understand where you’re coming from. It’s almost like the purity of sport, the joy that comes from simply engaging with it, starts to erode when the stakes shift over time and as you progress. What was once about discovery, play, and personal growth becomes more focused on winning, ranking, and external validation. For me, it’s important to find ways to reconnect with the original joy again. I played tennis for 6 years growing up and while my tennis days are over, I started playing pickleball at the beginning of this year and it’s been so fun to learn a new sport and play just for the fun and connection to others. It brings so much joy to my life!
A few different ones, baseball, basketball, golf, hockey, track. Now I run longer distance, practice yoga, and dance. I’m finding that sense of discovery and play again with the yoga and dance especially, and it’s so needed.
That’s amazing :) Embracing the fun and unknown of the journey seems to be the way ☺️
This is such a strong message! I really enjoyed this article. Thank you for sharing.
There’s nothing like a sister’s love 🥰 thank you for supporting me!