One of my biggest fulfillments at Cabrini is being a member of the softball team. I have played softball for over half of my life and I was always positive that I wanted to continue my softball career after high school. Through playing a college sport, I have realized the differences of playing on a college team compared to a high school team.
In my opinion college sports offer so much more than high school sports. From my experience, there is a much better quality in the athletes and work ethic at college.
By being a member of a college team, I have noticed the higher quality of athletes. In high school I had many teammates who knew nothing about the sport and had no passion for the game. Here, I find myself surrounded by girls who love softball, understand the sport, want to win and actually have talent! Granted, I did have some teammates in high school who were talented. But the number of talented teammates that I had in high school is minute compared to the number of talented teammates I have now. In college, there is now more meaning to the word teammate.
In my eyes, college sports are more competitive. There are more players who want to win, want to work hard and realize the true essence of the game. I believe that at a college level, there is more love for the sport. In high school many people just play a sport to keep busy or for some extra activity that will look good when they apply for colleges. In college, people play because they love the game. Let’s face it. We are not getting paid for playing, so we play because we want to. Fortunately from my experience, the players here want to play, want to have fun and want to win.
I feel that there is a better work ethic among college athletes. In my opinion there are more people who want to get better and will work hard to do so. Also, I think that college athletes are more competitive. In high school there was less willingness to win. People just played and the outcome didn’t seem to matter. Don’t get me wrong, having fun while playing a sport is one of the most important things. But there are other factors that contribute to successfully playing a sport. I believe that many high school players lack ambition, motivation and desire.
I believe that there are more true athletes on a college level. Many people in high school play sports but were not athletes at all. College teams, for the most part, contain a higher quality of athlete. People who are actually athletic, who have physical skill, are more commonly seen on a college team then a high school team.
My contrasting feelings about college and high school sports are a result of my personal experiences. I did enjoy playing sports in high school. However, in comparison with my experience of being a part of a college team, my enjoyment does not compare. In high school, I was surrounded by many girls who had little desire and hardly any self-motivation. While it is great to help to motivate your less motivated teammates and help them along, at some point they have to build their own desire and will to play. I have found that my teammates on the Cabrini softball team actually have the same desire and will as me.
As I entered college, I found that my excitement for playing softball was revitalized. I felt an even stronger desire to play and anticipated becoming a part of a new team. From the beginning, I knew that my four years of playing softball at Cabrini would be more enjoyable, more memorable and more productive than my four years of playing in high school. I am so happy that I get to end my softball career on a college level.
Of course there will always be those high schools that are always amazing at certain sports and those that seem to breed great athletes. And there will always be those colleges who could care less about athletics and have sports teams who never excel. But all in all, I truly feel that college sports are a better fit for true athletes.
Posted to the web by Tim Hague
