In today’s society, athletes are usually considered ‘good’ in terms of their skills and abilities in their respective sports, but not in terms of their attitude and personality. Thus, student-athletes’ behavior outside the court is often disregarded, so how they treat people around them is almost always accepted. But this isn’t how it should be; foul behavior that student-athletes exhibit should no longer be tolerated.
“Strive for Character; Strive for Excellence” --- the mantra of MGC New Life shouldn’t just be applied on school grounds. Instead, it should be brought wherever Newlifers go—at home, in church, in the mall, in school, on the court, everywhere! And when the mantra is followed, striving for one’s character should always come before striving for excellence. A person’s excellence will be forgotten in the long run, but his/her character will always be remembered.
The excellence that Newlifers have on the court wouldn’t matter if they didn’t have character. Why? Well, sports isn’t solely about just winning and being talented. It’s about discovering life lessons, dealing with failures and disappointments, building character, and creating lifelong memories. All those achievements, trophies, medals, and records will always be replaced by someone younger and better. All of one’s accomplishments and acclaims aren’t meant to stay forever. However, one's character will last and could impact the world and other people.
Given these conditions, what makes a good athlete? A good athlete is someone excellent in his/her sport and whose character is admirable both inside and outside the court. Good athletes exhibit sportsmanship, determination, humility, persistence, and so much more. These traits shouldn’t be displayed only during games and training sessions but also when they interact with their classmates, teachers, friends, family, and even strangers. Striving for both character and excellence is not just a Newlifer’s nominal motto in the sports field; it should be a Newlifer’s way of life.
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