Words of Wisdom from Women in Sport (don't worry, the wisdom is just being relayed through me, it's not me coming up with it)

I have been playing tennis for six years and looking back, I was often the only girl on court. I remember a couple camps, or a couple sessions of academy when other girls would come out and join in, but over time they stopped playing and only I remained. Now, when I head on court it is a different picture. There is a group of girls playing tennis consistently! I have even seen lessons that have had more girls than boys! For me, this is an exciting trend.

You’re maybe wondering why I am thinking about this now. This week I had the opportunity to attend a Women in Athletics conference in Augusta, Georgia. This conference consisted of a group of eight panelists and a key note speaker all of who have excelled in sports. Not just in athletic competition - seven of the eight were collegiate athletes - but also in their perspective jobs all in the sports field. As a girl who wants a career in athletics, this was an exciting day for me. 

Myself and other athletes talking to Coach Sue Patberg (on Left)

As an aspiring tennis coach, I was even more excited to discover that there would be a coach speaking at the event. Sue Patberg, who has had 19 years of head coaching experience in soccer. It was even more exciting when she sat down at the table I was sitting at and I had the opportunity to pick her brain before she even spoke for the panel.  (This for me was the Law of Attraction in action and if you haven’t read The Secret I recommend you give it a read). My most burning question, as boring and obvious of a question it may seem, was how she got into coaching. I had this thought that as a woman, it must be harder to earn a coaching position; I do not see that many female coaches. However, her response disproved that thought. She said, “This career literally fell into my lap, I didn’t really do anything.”

I could have seen this as there being a million jobs out there and therefore Sue did not have to work to find a job. Of course this isn't true. Maybe it appeared this career just fell into her lap since athletic directors from some of the top schools in the country (athletic directors from Colorado College and the University of Georgia to name a few) contacted her asking if she would be interested in coaching at their institutions. Athletic Directors from the top schools do not contact you unless they know who you are, and if they know who you are you must have an impressive resume. For Sue, this was true. She had a four year collegiate soccer career at the University of Massachusetts, had been on the United States National B team, and had coaching experience from working at soccer camps. She gained all this experience before she even graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. This shows she was qualified for these positions. Sue argued that she was a product of her time, finishing college when equality for women in collegiate athletics was high. Even though, there were still many women who were looking for these jobs, and Sue had earned them. 

The Panelists!

All the panelists had similar stories. Their jobs all “fell into their laps.” However, it was easy to see they had to work to reach these careers, but following something they loved never seemed like work to them. From hearing their stories, I took away some awesome points from the day. Commonalities that all led these women to success. Some of my favourites I listed below. Don’t worry boys, these apply to you to!

• You never know who is watching you. Carry yourself on the court in a way that shows off who you are. You never know who is watching. It could be your future boss, coach, or colleague. People notice you even when you don’t realise it.

• Networking. By the end of the conference this was all I could think about. The world of collegiate sports is small. Everyone knows everyone. So when you meet someone it is important to get their information and stay in contact. Send them updates, see what may be available to you. You never know, it could lead you to an internship, scholarship, or career. 

• Be willing to work for free. We often think that we need money and we need it now. Unfortunately, those hiring are often looking for experience and if you’re young you probably do not have much. When starting in a field you have to be willing to work for free. That means volunteer coaching on weekends, or volunteering at a gym, or a physical therapy clinic. The experience and the connections you form by doing these types of jobs will be invaluable when looking for future work. All the panelists had worked for free at some point and all of them now have successful jobs that spurred from those experiences. 

• Do what you love. If you’re in a career that you love, you will never realise that you’re working. All of these women love their jobs; many have made sacrifices for their work, but none of them regretted it. In some cases, these women made careers for themselves, creating jobs that didn’t exist before. Find something you want to do and pursue it. If you keep working at it, it will work out.

Me talking to Kristi Dosh after her key note address 

This conference was an inspiring experience for me. It is exciting to know how many women have succeeded in a field that often seems primarily open to men. It showed me that this is a viable career option for me. It is even more exciting to know this for when I come home and see that group of girls who are playing tennis on a regular basis. I know not all of them are interested in careers in sports, but it is great to know that if they want to that option is there for them to pursue.

"When I say 'SPart' you say 'CAMP'"

Week 1 SPartletes during an EPIC football game

I like to think that I’m still a kid, actually I’m convinced I am still a kid regardless of how “old” I may be. If there was any doubt of me being a kid, the past six weeks have definitely erased it. The eraser has been our newSPart camp, a camp that finds the balance between the physically intense, competitive athlete and the creative, expressive artist. Often, it is believed that if one is an athlete they can’t have interests in art, or vice versa, but we know that there are many who love both sport and art and we want to bring these loves together. This is why I have been surrounded by 10-15 kids - or should I say SPartletes - almost every day since the summer has started and I have loved it! 

 SPart has filled my days with various sports. I have always loved sports because of the team spirit they foster, the competitiveness they create, and the physical demand they place on my body. I will admit, that during the camp there have been times I have become so enveloped in the sport we were playing that I couldn’t be distinguished by the kids who were playing. This is why I love this camp, because I get to experience exactly what the SPartletes experience. I can feel what they feel, see what they see, and discover what it is they love the most and what we can do to improve the activities. 

SPartletes from week 6 "TADAAAing" in tadasana

I have also completed many different art projects because of SPart. Now before I continue, I must make a confession. I have been coaching SPart camp, coaching sports (many of the sports I have personally competed in), but I have also been teaching art, something that I have never really been good at and know VERY little about. Now I don’t want you to think that I don’t like art, because it is something that I really enjoy, but something I do not have much natural ability for. This is one of the reasons why I have enjoyed SPart so much. I have been learning with the SPartletes. This summer has been as much as a learning experience for me as it has been for them. I have learned the basics of water colour painitng, something I knew nothing about before this summer.  I have also learned about making sculptures using a variety of materials including things found in nature, clay, and wire. I have personally experienced the value of SPart because of the exposure it has given me to something I knew little about which has allowed me to find love in something I would never have found on my own. 

SPartlympians from week 5. They were best friends by the end of day one

SPart has given me so much joy, but the best part is being able to watch the SPartletes. The kids we have had this summer have been amazing. There has been a consistent eagerness from every kid to participate in sport and art meaning the word “SPartlete” is appropriately given. I have seen kids encourage others during competition and helping those they see struggling during art. I have seen older SPartletes ensure that those who are younger are participating. I have seen kids separated in age by more than six years get a long as if they were the same age. My favourite observation has been seeing the growth the SPartletes experience in just a week. I have seen kids come in on a Monday as timid as can be, and by Friday they are a wild fire running the show. I have seen kids have trouble accepting defeat, but learn that “defeat” is really just an opportunity to learn. This is what I have enjoyed the most about SPart. 

Soon I have to go back to school and am sad because I have to leave a week before the summer ends, meaning I am going to miss a week of camp. I have to miss a week of blissful smiles, joyous laughter, and the crazy happenings that you only see when you have a group of 10-20 SPartletes joined together. I am thankful that I have been a part of this SPart-tastic summer and that I can call myself a SPartlete.

Improving = Competing

Play to improve. You have heard this before if you are a Simcoe Tennis athlete. I remember when I first heard this I took it to the extreme. I thought playing to improve meant trying to hit every ball as if it was going to be a winner regardless of the position I was in. Over time, I learned that it meant to see every opportunity as one to grow, to develop every facet of your game, not just an ability to hit winners, but the ability to be solid every where on the court. Play to improve really meant to see every moment as one to become a better player. 

This saying has developed over the years and has had many different meanings. I have now learned that playing to improve can be equated with competing. Competition can be scary; often depicted as a battle between two players, one trying to beat the other. This idea of competition can consume players and manifest thoughts that every match must be won and no lost match is a good match. Thoughts like this however don’t run parallel to the idea that playing to improve and competition are synonyms for each other. That is true, because this idea of competition negates the idea of playing to improve and can limit a players potential. 

Think about the top players in the game. During their press conferences there is a recurring phrase, regardless if the player won or loss, “I’m just going to keep on trying to improve my game.” We have heard this said by Djokovic, Federer and Nadal; these players are the best of the best, but are focused on improving. Why? Because they’re not competing against the other players, they are competing against their self. 

Regardless of where you are, play your best and
challenge yourself

When competing against yourself you want to be better than the player you were yesterday, better than the player you were when you started practice, and hit a better shot than the one you just hit. These players are always competing, not just in tournaments, but in ups-and-downs, during drills, and during warm ups. These players treat practice the same way they would if they were playing the biggest match of their life, and the biggest match of their life would not differ from their practice. 

How does this relate to Division II tennis? When playing university tennis it is very competitive, not only are there matches on the line, but faculty jobs, player scholarships, and program funding. There are only six spots in the starting line up, so players are competing for positions so they have the opportunity to play. Again, so why is competing and playing to improve so important in university tennis? The players who play to improve are always trying and therefore always getting the most of themselves. Also, they are never cheating themselves; when they play a match, in practice or during the season, they give it their best. If they lose they can accept that the other person was better that day. When they win, they know they earned their spot on the roster and can be proud of it. Also, if they don’t make the starting line up, they understand that it is what is best for the team because they weren’t the best choice. They also know that if they keep working they will be able to make the line up in time. They do not have excuses, the player who plays to improve will always be competing. 

The player who competes this way, doesn’t limit their potential because they set no boundaries on what they can achieve.