Your circumstances do not define you as a player; the energy and commitment you put into playing do. How would you define yourself? Who is the best player on your team? Is it the player that scores the most goals or the player that never gets beat on defense?
The best player is the one who never quits. This is the player who goes all out until the final whistle no matter what the score or situation. This player works harder than everyone else in practice regardless of what their role is on the team. The best player makes everyone around them work harder and brings out the best in everyone on the team. To me, that is the best player on the team.
This is a player who will continually improve. These players will force those around them to get better. If they are the backup or reserve player their will and motivation will push the starters to work harder to keep their starting position. If this is a starter, it will motivate everyone else to keep up.
Players can become stronger and faster. Skills can be learned and developed. But pure will, motivation, and dedication come from within. A player who isn’t motivated to work or become better won’t give you everything they’ve got. A highly motivated player will give everything they have and then some no matter the situation.
These are the players that keep a team going and keep a team motivated. They provide the spark that is needed when a game isn’t going the way you want it to, or they keep the pressure on when it is going your way. They know that it only takes a second for a game to change drastically.
So, take a moment to reflect on what are your circumstances. What is your role on the team? What kind of energy and commitment are you bringing to practice and the games? Are you working outside of practice? Can you play with the spark that will ignite other players?
Ask yourself, when things get tough are you going to roll over and give up? Are you going to stop trying because it isn’t worth the energy or time? Or are you going to keep fighting and energize your teammates to push a little harder?