Why you should play sports to better yourself and your career

My mom told me I was too lazy to play college basketball.

I didn't grow up super athletic. My sister was much better than me at sports, whereas my strengths leaned more towards the academic side. But...I still had a dream.

I didn't start playing basketball until I was in 6th grade. Whereas my peers started at a much younger age, I felt a bit behind in my skills. I had major failures along the way...shooting in the wrong basket that ultimately led to us losing by 2 points and me being the laughing stock at my school the next day.

But I didn't let that stop me.

When high school came around, I went home crying almost every night because I always got picked last playing pickup.

I knew I wasn't the most talented, but I knew I could outwork everyone else.

I spent hours at the gym working on my form. Getting extra reps in, and even staying hours after practice to get better.

Everyone else in my year got a Varsity jersey except for me.

I begged my mom to let me play travel basketball. Everyone else was doing it to gain exposure to colleges, and my sister had been doing it for years for softball. She was really good and getting looked at by D1 colleges.

But my mom said, "I think you are too lazy to play college basketball."

And I said, with tears in my eyes, "I will prove you wrong."

It was a moment I will never forget. It fueled a fire in me so strong, I got in the best shape of my life. In my senior year of high school, I started having several colleges looking at me.

And then it happened. I got accepted to play college basketball and get a degree in mechanical engineering.

And then, not even two weeks after I got dropped off on campus, I dislocated my kneecap and chipped my patella playing pickup basketball with my new teammates. I had never broken a bone or had a major injury in my life before this and my life came crashing down.

Immediate surgery came and I had to get back on my feet again, literally.

After 3 months of intense rehab, I was back on the court again in December that same year.

But, in all 4 years, I never was the star player. I never was the leading scorer, and I never had amazing highlight reels, but I didn't let that stop me from being the best teammate I could be.

At our final banquet, I was awarded the "Polar Bear Award". Our mascot was the polar bear and it is given to the player who truly represents what it means to be a great teammate. And to me, that was the best award I could have ever gotten.

All of this to say, I hope my story can encourage you to not let your setbacks keep you from pursuing your dreams. And this is not to say I hate my mom in any way for saying that to me. If anything, it was the push I needed to take my dream seriously. I love my mom. And she supports me in all my aspirations.

Sports have taught me so much. I received a question in one of my speeches I gave a few weeks ago "How much has sports played a role in your career"? And I responded, "ALL OF IT."

It has taught me: grit, resilience, hard work, communication, fighting through failures, and so much more.

Even during my schooling, a close friend of mine laughed in my face when I told him I wanted to become an inventor one day. He basically said it was impossible.

Well, I proved him wrong too.