A letter to sports

There are always those people who take it too far.

We’ve all seen those people. Those people who get way too upset over a board game. Like if they lose in Monopoly, they’ve reached the end of the world.

Well, I’m self-aware enough to know that, unfortunately, I am that person.

Competition has always been something that I’ve craved. I love winning, and the only thing that I hate more than losing is a participation trophy.

I seek competition in every aspect of life. Academics, strength training, a simple game of cards, and of course, athletics.

Some people view this as unhealthy, but I don’t. Because although competition is viewed as a division, it’s so uniting. 

Politics, religion, race, etc. It’s exhausting.

But in sports? None of that matters. It’s a peacemaker. 

The only time in history that all wars have ceased was for the Olympics. We’ve seen unity – North and South Korea competing under one flag. Refugees banding together to compete as one. The whole world is coming together, all for competition.

Sports bring people together. They foster unity. They celebrate diversity. They showcase respect.

This is what I want my life to revolve around. 

I want to dedicate my life to creating this sense of community in all aspects of life, no matter how small. Because at the end of the day, we’re all just people, and I believe that we’re more similar than different.

This experience with the Olympics Project has just solidified that belief on a deeper level.

During our time at Marseille, we were able to attend the U.S. versus France men’s soccer match. And although everyone around me was a France fan, they were so interested in hearing my life story.

The girl sitting next to me, Rana, instantly began conversing with me. Between the three goals that France made, I got to know that the 16-year-old girl from Paris was equally as interested in both sports and Taylor Swift as I was. She’s passionate about education and working towards equality. She wants to attend University and continue to work in Paris.

Where else would you find connection like this one?

This is what I love. 

In a world that’s so divided, it’s comforting to know that sports will always be there to unite us.

So the next time that you turn on the news and begin to lose faith in humanity, just call me over for a game of Monopoly, and I promise that your faith will quickly be restored.

With love,

Ava <3