March has finally ended and along with it the Madness of NCAA Basketball. CONGRATULATIONS TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
Something must have really been in the water up there in the Carolinas.
The South Carolina Gamecocks celebrate their win in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Women’s Final Four. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Consumed by stats, scores and maybe even a little trash-talking, I was able to think of little else than filling out a winning bracket. Not to win money or a prize but, for simple bragging rights. There is nothing like lording a triumphant bracket over your coworkers. Of course, I lost bragging rights this year because of some real bracket-busters.
For those of you who dislike basketball, or even all team sports, I want to share some of the valuable life lessons I learned from basketball. These are the reasons that make it more than just a game or that annoying time of the month in March.
#1. How to get along with others. When you have to work together as a team to reach a goal, you learn how to play well with others. This translates into finding a way to work with a variety of people, not just your BFF. Basketball showed me how to put asides personal differences and play hard.
#2. Practice. Practice. Practice. If you want to get better at something, that means taking time to develop your skills every day. Spend a few hours after practice shooting around the 3-point line, you will become a better shot. Basketball showed me how to work hard and practice to improve my abilities.
#3. Sportsmanship. Probably the most important thing I learned from basketball, and my parents, was how to act on (and off) the court. You won—you go shake your opponent’s hand and tell them they played a good game. You lose—you go shake your opponent’s hand and congratulate them. Winning is the best and it is not easy to accept defeat. Basketball showed me that sometimes, no matter how good you are, you may lose and it is what you do after a loss that can define the kind of person you are.
Come next year, go ahead, fill out a bracket and join the office pool. You never know what good things you will discover about basketball. Or your coworkers.