Those of us who do not call themselves particularly, “athletically inclined” may not understand another’s fascination with how fast he or she can run, far he or she can throw, and how high he or she can jump. They may ask the question “why?” while watching freakishly large professional athletes sweat and get injured, and watch  as their peers seemingly waste hours every week to get sore and tired for the next day.

So- why do people participate in the first place? Is it simply to be the best?

Sophomore Eryn Bavis  says “no”. What motivates her to compete on Hollis Brookline’s rowing team isn’t to be the best in comparison to her peers, but instead to push herself as hard as possible and find her own physical limitation. Improving as a person as well as improving as a team is why athletes do what they do.

Goal setting is a major part of team and individual sports. The players know what they want and the coaches tell them how to get there, whether it’s a mile run time, number of pullups, or slapshot speed, players have to be able to understand the meaning of  always working towards something together.  

The New York Times asked students thirteen and older why they play sports. The general answer is “because I like it.”

Username “R” left a comment stating,  “you feel so important and accomplished when you stick a skill, or win first place.”

She says she would feel “lost” without doing gymnastics after developing a love for the sport after doing it for so many years.

That feeling isn’t exclusive to just gymnastics.

At the tail end of her fall season, rower Emily Pearson‘18 suffered a shoulder injury which has kept her from training for the upcoming spring competition, yet she is “not discouraged” from continuing to race. In the meantime, she is worried her fitness level will slip during an inactive winter, but makes plans to work hard to redeem for lost time when the ice melts and the season begins. Her teammates eagerly await her full recovery.

Bavis stated that being part of a team provides a good place to “meet cool people”, as teammates want each other to succeed. Spectators at HBHS have seen players and coaches alike cheer on their friends on the benches and the field. Doing strenuous workouts as well as winning as a team is sure to foster several friendships.

A love for sports begins when it’s only “as long as you have fun” it continues and expands when the success it brings also makes us feel good about ourselves. Sports fuel ambition and gives us the determination to work for something bigger than ourselves, our team. That’s worth all the sweat, bruises, and late nights.