Vero Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 This topic is in relation to my sport at my school, Cross Country. This is my 4th year running competitively in high school. Since freshman year, it has been my dream to get past Districts and qualify for Regionals, either individually or with my team. I had high ambitions before this season started, but now they seem near impossible to achieve because all the other teams at other schools are so competitive. There have been times in the past when my team had very good people, but I, along with some other slow people, held the team behind. The fast ones qualified individually. Now I'm pretty good but not magnificent, but our team is average. We don't have any super fast people like before. I feel like I missed my chance a long time ago. If I had just been serious with running in middle school, I would've been good enough when I had a good team. I am, by no means, talented like everyone else. I'm where I am right now strictly off of hard work. It's just annoys me to see people who've never done or worked at the sport as long or as hard as me and somehow make it to Regionals because they are just super talented. For example, there is a new freshman on my team who is just as fast as me because he is super talented. When he gets to my age, he'll be faster and accomplish more than me. Also, our school girl's team is gonna be able to make it to states just because they have a state-level runner and and couple decent runners. If the guys team was like that, we would be going to states also. Out of all the guys who I ran with when I was a freshman, I am the only one left running. I feel like I stayed the course and worked hard, but I'm not rewarded. I feel like a fool because a tiny new freshman is as fast, if not faster, than me. I've been competing so long and still haven't (and may not) accomplish my goal of making it to Regionals. Am I must just not meant to qualify? Am I not built for this? Advice? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
newmoon Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 there will always be someone better and more talented, that is a fact of life. even with hard work you won't be the best because someone who is 'naturally talented' can come along and get it done with less effort. that's how talent works. does that mean you give up? no, you keep going if you find the sport challenging and interesting to you. if you already know that you'll never be the greatest, you can actually have more fun, by pursuing it as a hobby - you won't have the same pressures on you that people with natural talents have. as long as you enjoy your sport and are willing to work hard, keep at it. you shouldn't be doing it for outside rewards anyway, the gratification needs to come from inside and knowing you're working hard and doing your personal best. as long as you're challenging yourself it should be good enough. it's about personally challenging yourself rather than comparing yourself to competitors. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Satu Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Behind every mountain is a bigger mountain. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Vero Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 I really thought about what you said about doing it as a hobby. Recently, I've sort of realized that I don't want to be so competitive this year. I just want to practice and hangout with my teammates. Chasing after my previous goal is driving me crazy with stress and leaving me with disappointment. Honestly, I'm content with how far I've come over the years and I am completely confident in my ability to go farther in my sport, but I don't want to. I envy some of my other teammates who do it as a hobby because it seems as tho their life is more balanced. I'm just scared of what my coach and teammates will think. In the beginning of the season, I was so passionate about my previous goal but now I'm different. I'm a role model to some of my teammates and I don't want them to see me not trying. I also don't want my coaches howling at me to go faster when I don't want to. I WAS the best on the team, but not recently; I don't care though. At the same time, I don't want work for someone else's satisfaction! Link to post Share on other sites
Maxtor Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 There have been times in the past when my team had very good people, but I, along with some other slow people, held the team behind. The fast ones qualified individually. Now I'm pretty good but not magnificent, but our team is average. We don't have any super fast people like before. I feel like I missed my chance a long time ago. If I had just been serious with running in middle school, I would've been good enough when I had a good team. I am, by no means, talented like everyone else. I'm where I am right now strictly off of hard work. It's just annoys me to see people who've never done or worked at the sport as long or as hard as me and somehow make it to Regionals because they are just super talented. For example, there is a new freshman on my team who is just as fast as me because he is super talented. When he gets to my age, he'll be faster and accomplish more than me. Also, our school girl's team is gonna be able to make it to states just because they have a state-level runner and and couple decent runners. If the guys team was like that, we would be going to states also. Thanks. You dont live with these people 24\7, you dont know what they do late at nights, how and when do they train. Maybe late at night they go running and practicing. Talent always loses if you dont practice your craft. Like someone else said "You may be talent than me, you may be smarter than me, but if we go on that treadmill, theres two things: either you quit first, or I'm going to die on that treadmill." So, stop comparing yourself and just work even harder. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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