Spending that much time in a car gave me a lot of time to do the following things: listen to the same four CDs I have in my car approximately 4,642 times while “singing” at the top of my lungs (i.e. Josh Groban, Kelly Clarkson, the Glee soundtrack, and Alicia Keys- just in case you were wondering), eat about 1,934 almonds and 28 Honeycrisp apples, pick my nose (no judging…J you know you have done it too), and lastly one of my favorite pastimes— to reflect on life.
Since my east coast road trip was SportsChallenge-themed, I could not help but think of how lucky I was to have been embraced by the SportsChallenge family five years ago in high school. How would my life be different if I never attended SportsChallenge? I would probably still be the determined, focused student-athlete I was prior to participating in the Summer Academy in 2004 and 2005. But I can assure you I would NOT have had the self-confidence or tools to be a leader for the teams I have been a part of since then: Butler University’s Soccer Team (2006-2007), Marquette University’s Soccer Team (2007-2009), and Marquette University’s Cross Country & Track team (2009-present).
After returning to SportsChallenge this past summer as a coach, I am aware now more than ever how much I have applied and used the tools that SportsChallenge gave me five years ago. For example, I write down my goals for the upcoming season using the exact same goals sheet we give our student-athletes to fill out at Summer Academy. I have also exchanged these goals with my teammates and encouraged them to create their own goals for each season as well. Also, I have learned a lot from SportsChallenge’s lesson of the different leadership styles. For the three collegiate teams that I have been a part of, I have mostly utilized the leadership style of “leading by example.” SportsChallenge taught me that there is a leadership myth that all leaders have to be loud and outgoing, and some times I am. However, for the majority of my college athletic career, I have been a newcomer. I was a newcomer at Butler as a freshman. I was a newcomer when I transferred to Marquette’s soccer program as a sophomore. And now I am a newcomer to Marquette’s Cross Country & Track team. It takes time to earn the respect and to establish the relationships necessary to be an effective leader. As such, it has always been most appropriate for me to let the experienced seniors be the vocal leaders for the team; therefore, I have learned to be a good follower—just as important as being a good leader—while trying to patiently earn the respect and establish the positive relationships to have a positive influence on my team. Meanwhile, I have embraced the leadership style of leading by example by working hard on and off the field/track.
The most important lesson I take away from SportsChallenge is how sports are more than just earning a “W.” Sports are a metaphor for everything else we do in life. Hence my favorite SportsChallenge mantra: “Skills for Sport. Skills for life.” There is a lot to be taken from cross country and soccer on a larger scale. They are sports of mental and physical endurance. Most importantly, they are sports of resilience. Hard work is not an option. If you slack off in a race or game, it will show. Giving up, surrendering in the battle, is not an option. And such is my modus operandi in life. My favorite high school soccer coach once advised me to “surround yourself with those who share the same desires as you.” The epitome of this is when my SportsChallenge family surrounds me: the coaches, the teachers, the students, and the athletes. From my time at SC Summer Academy as a student-athlete and coach, I am grateful for all the life lessons and lasting friendships that SportsChallenge has given me. This is why I spent 45 hours in a car driving over 2,000 miles these past two weeks. Never has it been truer that “the road to a friend’s house is never long” (Danish proverb).
After returning to SportsChallenge this past summer as a coach, I am aware now more than ever how much I have applied and used the tools that SportsChallenge gave me five years ago. For example, I write down my goals for the upcoming season using the exact same goals sheet we give our student-athletes to fill out at Summer Academy. I have also exchanged these goals with my teammates and encouraged them to create their own goals for each season as well. Also, I have learned a lot from SportsChallenge’s lesson of the different leadership styles. For the three collegiate teams that I have been a part of, I have mostly utilized the leadership style of “leading by example.” SportsChallenge taught me that there is a leadership myth that all leaders have to be loud and outgoing, and some times I am. However, for the majority of my college athletic career, I have been a newcomer. I was a newcomer at Butler as a freshman. I was a newcomer when I transferred to Marquette’s soccer program as a sophomore. And now I am a newcomer to Marquette’s Cross Country & Track team. It takes time to earn the respect and to establish the relationships necessary to be an effective leader. As such, it has always been most appropriate for me to let the experienced seniors be the vocal leaders for the team; therefore, I have learned to be a good follower—just as important as being a good leader—while trying to patiently earn the respect and establish the positive relationships to have a positive influence on my team. Meanwhile, I have embraced the leadership style of leading by example by working hard on and off the field/track.
The most important lesson I take away from SportsChallenge is how sports are more than just earning a “W.” Sports are a metaphor for everything else we do in life. Hence my favorite SportsChallenge mantra: “Skills for Sport. Skills for life.” There is a lot to be taken from cross country and soccer on a larger scale. They are sports of mental and physical endurance. Most importantly, they are sports of resilience. Hard work is not an option. If you slack off in a race or game, it will show. Giving up, surrendering in the battle, is not an option. And such is my modus operandi in life. My favorite high school soccer coach once advised me to “surround yourself with those who share the same desires as you.” The epitome of this is when my SportsChallenge family surrounds me: the coaches, the teachers, the students, and the athletes. From my time at SC Summer Academy as a student-athlete and coach, I am grateful for all the life lessons and lasting friendships that SportsChallenge has given me. This is why I spent 45 hours in a car driving over 2,000 miles these past two weeks. Never has it been truer that “the road to a friend’s house is never long” (Danish proverb).
-Coach Berg
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