Better Together

Have you ever been so nervous that you wanted to quit without trying? Have you ever tried something for the first time and failed at it? Have you ever had people constantly judging you but not saying anything because they are too elite to do so?

I’m sure all these incidences have occurred more than once in your entire lifetime! Some of these experiences must have been disheartening to an extent that it made you quit what you initially started. To overcome these deterring thoughts, some of you must have had to undergo some or the other kind of counselling.

Did someone ever tell you that it’s ok to have failed? Did someone appreciate your strength for trying something? Did someone tell that you did fabulously better than how they perceived you would? I am sure these occurrences have been pretty seldom!!

I consider myself fortunate to have been married to an ex-international tennis player who values sports like no other.Not that he isn’t proud of my versatile qualities, its just that my list of qualities is a little too lengthy for this post.

So being a part of a sports entrepreneurship, having a child who is an ardent football fan and is equally passionate about all sports as his father, I, had the opportunity to play pickle ball, a sport that is really picking up in India. The rules of this game is similar to that of badminton and the fun part is to play it with a partner.

Now when you are playing any sport as a team, you have to make sure each move and action complements your partner. You have to constantly encourage your partner to do well. You cannot and shouldn’t discourage your partner on, him/her missing any points. You have to cover up for your partner. You have to work together to score points and continuously watch each other’s back.

So, coming back to the game, I,being really novice at the game and having practiced just two times, we lost. We did put up a good show but we lost. My companion wasn’t upset at all, in fact he commended my spirit towards being eager to play the sport, even though I knew nothing about it.

He also mentioned that, that’s how team sports are supposed to be played. All of us will make mistakes, we will all goof up but it’s a team effort and that’s what matters in the end!!

A sports champion once told me, in sports, whether you are a champion or not, you will have to practice every day. You will have to outsmart your previous game.

I wish our societies would look at life in the same way. I wish our sons and daughters and rest of the family members were taught to live our lives together as a team. We all would have different opinions, different strategies but we all would have to eventually think about the betterment of the game called life!!

I wish in a marriage, we stood up for each other when needed. After all, the literal meaning of spouse is a partner and a partner is someone who is with you in the good and the bad.

I wish each person played one sport at least once to understand the importance of togetherness, to understand the importance of abiding by the rules, to understand the importance of time.