The athletics class was a prerequisite for playing any sport. She didn't make the cut and was devastated, so I sat her down and talked through her goals and what it would take. I basically told her that if she worked harder than anyone else over the summer, she would make the basketball team. She worked her butt off that summer and came back and shocked the coaches and made the team. She maintained this work ethic, and ended up being a key player (and efficiency leader) on a deep run into the state tournament on a team that turned out multiple college players, but more importantly has learned to apply it to her life outside of sports.

Rejection sucks, but hard work is a skill that seems to be undervalued in many young people today. Sports are a great way to learn the value of it in a low-stakes environment before they venture out into the real world.