2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: We don't just play the game to win it
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Losing never feels good. In gradeschool, we are instilled with the notion that we can all be "winners" if we just put our minds to it, a stinging belief when you hold up a second place trophy. When you find yourself looking back at a season of intense competition and an offseason of even more intense conditioning, anything less than the best just doesn't seem good enough.
But only one team can hoist the first place trophy. At the risk of sounding like an overly proud mother, there is absolutely nothing wrong with second place, or anything less, for that matter. In the words of Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, we play the game to win. Whle this is undeniably true, it is not the whole picture. We also play the game for the spirit of competition and camaraderie. Nowhere are these better engendered than in intercollegiate athletics. Regardless of records and titles, every Trinity athlete will remember their roadtrips and practices as well and as fondly as they remember individual competitions.
Varsity athletes are in the unique and enviable position of participating in their sport at the highest of levels, without the burden of contracts and endorsements. Instead, they have the burden of essays, exams and excused absences.
In the end, we can't all finish first. But we can't all be athletes, either. Only a select and elite few are fortunate enough to even participate in college athletics. A university's identity is often defined, at least in part, by its athletics so, we at the Trinitonian want to congratulate our sports teams on each of their hard-fought seasons and thank them for the work they've put in to make us proud to be Tigers.
But only one team can hoist the first place trophy. At the risk of sounding like an overly proud mother, there is absolutely nothing wrong with second place, or anything less, for that matter. In the words of Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, we play the game to win. Whle this is undeniably true, it is not the whole picture. We also play the game for the spirit of competition and camaraderie. Nowhere are these better engendered than in intercollegiate athletics. Regardless of records and titles, every Trinity athlete will remember their roadtrips and practices as well and as fondly as they remember individual competitions.
Varsity athletes are in the unique and enviable position of participating in their sport at the highest of levels, without the burden of contracts and endorsements. Instead, they have the burden of essays, exams and excused absences.
In the end, we can't all finish first. But we can't all be athletes, either. Only a select and elite few are fortunate enough to even participate in college athletics. A university's identity is often defined, at least in part, by its athletics so, we at the Trinitonian want to congratulate our sports teams on each of their hard-fought seasons and thank them for the work they've put in to make us proud to be Tigers.
Be the first to comment on this story