Rally for Girls’ Sports Day 2010

All around the web today there are many blogs participating in the Rally for Girls’ Sports Day 2010. The topic for most all is:

What do you win by playing sports?

I have a very recent example of what I win by participating in sports, although I am not a young girl.

Before I get to that, I will tell you that when I was in the 5th grade I played football with the boys. Not only did I win a spot on that team, but confidence. My parents never told me that I wasn't supposed to do that. In fact, they allowed me to do whatever sport I wanted.

I played sports, organized and otherwise, for my entire childhood and now as an adult. As a result, I am much healthier and more fit than many of my peers.

So back to that recent example: as you know if you've read this blog before, I surf. I surf as much as possible. Recently I won a 2nd place award in a surf competition. This was the first time someone had really acknowledged that they thought I was good at something I love so much as an adult. It really became a pivotal moment in my surfing of late. I am much more confident and I've let go a lot of little fears that were holding me back (like getting older, nagging injuries slowing me down, blah, blah, blah). My ability has taken off quite well - almost as if I was in my early 20s again (well, close).

What have you won by playing sports?