Sport has been one of the most influential practices in my life. For me, it has created a mindset and an everyday action that has led me to a place of mental and physical happiness. It has helped me to set goals and keep me focused on the lessons that my body has taught me, about life and its ever-evolving processes called change. So how does a girl go from a dancer to a netballer, to a runner, to a yogi to a wilderness hiking maniac? Good question, as a young child as soon as I could walk, I would dance, my father was a musician and a footballer who understood that practice was the key ingredient to being good anything. So, I took up ballet, gymnastics and rap dancing. I was introduced to soccer too but spent most of my time on a soccer field as the goalie who would do summersaults and handstands on the field and let the ball through the goals (as an accident of course)whoops!!! In fact, my love of the feeling of movement is probably what makes me so in love with the practice of Yoga as a mature adult, that and the release of endorphins pumping through my body when I do a headstand and then meditate after.
So where does my passion for sport really come from? At the age of 8, I was introduced to a sport that would give me way more than I could ever give back – It was netball. Netball is a very physical sport, it is highly competitive, and I loved the speed, the flexibility but most of all the teamwork. It is a game that teaches you about focus and strategy, about losing and winning and the importance of good brain wiring, positive thoughts and mindset especially if you are a goal shooter like I was. It was through this process that I learnt that the mind was much more powerful than what my body would tell me was possible. I played representative netball until the age of 21 when I decided that everyone else looked like they were having a great time with their lives, while I was focused on training, plus my ankles needed rehab and the dynamic of the team at the time made me feel reflective and I knew maybe it was time to switch it up. After I quit, I gained 20kg in 6moths and it took me 18months to get the weight back off. Life is different when all of a sudden you are not an athlete. Let’s just say it wasn’t a happy time, but it put me on the path I am now and these lessons I will forever be grateful for.
The great thing about being obsessed with sport as a kid I would say is that you miss out on the teenage partying because you have to get up and you have to practice every day if you’re going to be good. You become focused on your diet and foods you put into your body and every day you train. For me, it was a swim with my mum and dad in the mornings, 200 shots of a ball into a netball hoop daily and some type of afternoon training session, if it was with the team 2- 2.5hours worth. I would do these things regardless of the pain in the body or how I felt on the day. In fact, the most beneficial benefit from all of this was learning that rigor and routine in life through practice can make you good at anything you really want. I have watched more gifted individuals be great at something but just like the story of the tortoise and the hair the one who practices consistently, in the end, is the one who wins through the greatest gain. I believe there could be many reasons for this, one reason is that we value what we have to work for. Another is that because we had to learn the skill and then work at it, we are constantly seeking ways to improve, where if someone is just good at something they are not constantly analyzing and obsessing about ways to be better. This is one of the reasons why I love to dance, yoga, and hiking because the only competition is yourself. Sure you need to learn the skills of others and they guide you to how things should look or feel, but at the end of the day, only you can do this. You can try it this way, and that way without judgment of others listening and working with your body silently making improvements through the feeling of your bodies movement.
If I think through all of my years practicing sport, I would say that the greatest gift for me has been the understanding that your body is a transformational weapon that adjusts to your beliefs and thoughts. For me, it has been realizing that my thoughts are not real and that my body is capable of way more than my mind would ever permit. The reason why I love the sport so much is that at different times in my life I have needed a team, at other times I have needed to learn something within myself through observation of others. The greatest discovery I feel that has created the most happiness and joy for me in sport has been the people who I have met who have influenced me to give things ago. The sounds of their encouragement, of their guidance and help, are forever imprinted in my memories and remind me daily that it is an essential element in my life to now do this for others. Some of the other lessons that sport has taught me to include the importance of practice, teamwork, resilience and routine, these lessons I feel fortunate for being exposed too, as I have taken these concepts into other areas of my life which has ensured my success as an adult. Overall, I believe sport has influenced me to think positive, to never quit, how to pick up the pieces when you lose and continue on through failure by learning and that even when we are down, there is always the potential for a comeback.
Written by Angela Jayne Heath who is a teacher who is an educational leader and influencer in Australia. She is a yogi who is obsessed with travel and adventure you can follow her @pangerelliashe is also the author of the @coolchicksthink platform where she works with women to empower their thinking and build their confidence.
More info: sportskanazee.com
