A True Athlete...

I know this is REALLY long...but it is my definition essay for my ENG 102 class. I thought it would be interesting to share with all of you. 


         Athletes can be found all over the world, but what makes up a true athlete? Are they those who put in hours and hours of practice a week or are they the ones who play a sport for fun? Some people believe that a true athlete is more than just a typical athlete. In order for a person to be a true athlete, the definition is rooted deeply within the person. A true athlete cannot be fabricated, it is something that is born innately within the person. A true athlete is an athlete who gives 110%, who has a love, passion, and a desire to play the game, and who is more mentally smart than physically smart.

         According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary an athlete is defined as, “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, and stamina”. Another dictionary definition of an athlete is, “characterized by or involving physical activity or exertion; active; physically strong and well developed; muscular”. Although these definitions are true in describing an athlete, they lack in defining what a true athlete is. Yes, a true athlete encompasses all of these qualities, however the qualities defined above merely describe someone who partakes in an sporting event. For someone to be considered a true athlete there needs to be more qualities than physical qualities. Just like the saying, “there is more to a person than meets the eye”, there is more to an athlete than the physicality of the athlete. Almost anyone can be considered an athlete, however are they true athletes?

         A true athlete needs to be able to give 110% in the sport that they play. So often there have been athletes who become lackadaisical in their movements because they have become fatigued from playing. A true athlete will play all quarters of the game if needed be because they want to show that they are there to play the game and not just to gain fame or money. A main reason why true athletes need to give 110% is to show that they are trying to better themselves. They want to become the best that they can be. An example of giving 110% is by practicing different skills and concepts after a practice, or staying an hour after practice to enhance their skills. Another example of giving 110% is going full out in a game. A true athlete will run the extra mile to tackle a running back who is inches away from the goal line. Even though this athlete is tired and sore from the numerous beatings in the game, they will go the extra length to stop the other team from scoring. 

         In football, one of the main players on defense is the free safety. The free safety is the last line of defense and the last effort to try to prevent the team from scoring. Before the quarterback releases the ball from his hand, the free safety needs to anticipate where he is going to throw the ball. This way, the free safety can either intercept the football or tackle the receiver immediately. This is an example of how a true athlete needs to be more mentally smart than physically smart. A regular athlete will wait on his or her heels before seeing where the ball is being thrown. They might be physically fast enough to reach the player before the goal line, but would it not have been more beneficial if the receiver was tackles 15 yards away from the goal line? An athlete can be the most muscular guy on the team, but that does not necessarily mean that they are the smartest athlete. A great American baseball player, Yogi Berra, once said, “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” While Berra said this about baseball, it can be applied to all sports. 

         The most important criteria of being a true athlete is that they need to have a love, passion, and a desire to play the game. This is important because this allows the athlete to be unselfish and to play for the betterment of the team. Many professional athletes today just care about playing for money. Meaning that their professional career becomes all about money versus being the best that they can be and wanting to help the good of the team. When athletes play having a love, passion, and a desire to play, they never become tired of the sport, nor do they give up if their teams sucks or if their become injured. It is amazing to see how many professional athletes waste away their true talent just to receive large amounts of money. A true athlete is not in it for the money, they are in it for the love of the game and because it makes them happy and feel good to get out there and do something that they love to do. 

         A person whom exemplifies a true athlete is Patrick Tillman. Pat Tillman grew up considered too little to play football. He attended Arizona State University and signed into the National Football League with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals believed in Pat’s potential to be a great athlete and to succeed in the sport. They were right. Tillman thoroughly enjoyed playing football because he loved the sports, he was passionate about it, and he desired to play it no matter what anybody thought about him. Tillman has always been a team player and is one of the most unselfish football players of all time. Pat Tillman gave up millions of dollars to stay with the Cardinals versus signing with a different football team. He chose to stick with the Cardinals because they believed in him from the beginning of his career and gave him a chance to show the world how great of an athlete he was. In the end, Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice and gave up what he loved most to go and defend his country in war. 

         True athletes give more than what their body has to give, meaning they give a full 110%. In addition to this, a true athlete should be more mentally smart than physically smart and should want to play the sport because they have a love, passion, and desire for the game. Many people can object to these criteria and say that an athlete is anyone who plays a sport. While this is true, the question in mind is what is a true athlete. True athletes are like diamonds in the rough, they are difficult to find but gleam like the stars when they are found.

Thanks for reading. 

☮ ~ ♥