Her Next Play Marketing Director, Margarita Dimas
Sports represent many things to me, but confidence and connections are the highest on my list. I am a huge sports fan with a very short playing career but full of life lessons.
As a grade schooler, I played basketball as a forward. What I most remember about that experience is that it helped me get out of my shell. That I actually asked the coach to put me into play was not only a shock to me but also my first recollection of showing confidence in myself. I knew the plays, I had practiced, and I could take the responsibility of being on the court.
It is that confidence that I want my kids to gain as they play sports. They show it as they put on their uniform and step on the court or take the field. Confidence in their game is what helps them when they are down a set. They know they have the tools to dig deep inside, get creative, ignore the score, and try their hardest to win a match. Confidence has helped my daughter play golf with much older kids or with a group of boys. This confidence translates into so many things at school and will help them so much in their careers. Confidence will lead to success in careers. This skill will drive them to take on the hard projects, defend their position at meetings, and get the job they want.
Sports are a way my family connects- we are sports tourists. We enjoy the invaluable time we spend together as a family as we watch the games.
As we enjoy the games together, we learn lessons in life. We have seen the importance of ignoring the last play and concentrating to the next, the maturing of players, the importance of team culture, the commitment of the players, and the key to never give up.
We speak about these lessons during the games so when a challenge comes up at school, project, or a game, my kids have already seen resilience and know they can overcome the challenge.
A few years ago when we asked my daughter what her favorite part of the year was- she said it was going to the Indian Wells, BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament. She said she liked it because she spent time with me and watched some amazing tennis. We had some great discussions. She enjoyed watching a player overcome a huge deficit and win. She really enjoyed watching an up and coming player’s hard practice. She got her autograph and continues to watch her as she goes up in the rankings.
Whether it is watching sports or playing, there are so many ways to connect with people. I look forward to enjoying more games with my family and connecting with them.