Punk. Rich. Geek. Nerd. Athlete. Weirdo. Every day we see and hear these labels, but everyone is labeled differently. For instance, when you look at someone you may have never seen before you automatically make a judgment based on how they look, dress, act or carry themselves. How is it that when it comes to stereotyping we can automatically put someone under a microscope and label them without even knowing them? Using a label has not in the least hindered me from being the best athlete I can be. As Gay states in “Bad Feminist,” she is “bad” referring to feminism because she does not display all the traits a feminist normally does like not shaving or protesting on a regular basis, but does relate to being one because she believes women are powerful and should do as they please. When I visualize myself as an athlete I understand that I am “bad,” because I do not follow the day to day workouts and meal preps like normal athletes.
I call myself an athlete, but I am not like most athletes you see today or athletes you might visualize of in your imagination. I grew up running for an AAU track team throughout my preteen years, running in the Junior Olympics, and then proceeding to run varsity track all throughout my high school career. I don’t train throughout most of the day, and I don’t have the “best” diet plan. I still conceive myself as an athlete because a true athlete does not have to have the highest of athletic abilities, and being an athlete cannot be counterfeit, but humbly something you are initially born with. Although that definition describes an athlete well, it fails to define what the true meaning is. The word athlete does not have one simple definition but has many complex meanings that are taken further beyond the point of just playing a sport. To be considered a true athlete there needs to be more determination, character and mental qualities than just physical qualities. Just like saying, “there is more to a person than what meets the eye,” there is more to an athlete than the physicality of one. A true athlete is not one to cripple or stop trying. When I run, you will always see me give 110 percent every time I step foot on a track, and just by watching me you are one to never see me give up. Being gifted with strength, stamina, and physical ability does not define a person as an athlete. Instead, the true definition of one is having the capability to be physically smart ,and mentally smart while being passionate about the sport they are playing, and displaying love and dedication.
Using labels have never been a concern to come to mind when I visualize myself, yes I am an athlete, but I do not walk around telling everyone I am or having the mindset that I am better than everyone. Having a label has never hindered me from being great. A label does not define me as a person. I never thought about having a label to characterize yourself could stop you from achieving and being the best person you ultimately could be. Most athletes need the label the to be seen as some big, bad person who roams around and believes that he or she is better than everyone else, but in my reality, I don’t see why being labeled as an athlete or being labeled at all could change me as a person.
Being characterized as an athlete has displayed various traits upon me such as respect, leadership, positivity, focus, and dedication. Being respectful to your teammates, coaches, officials, or even other teams is a huge aspect of an athlete’s life. Without respect, you are not looked down on but you will be considered as “poor sport,” and that is the opposite of what you should want yourself seen as. A positive athlete keeps their fellow teammates up and keeps the game/ meet running smoothly. They never allow themselves to directly get down in front of their peers and never let their teammates get down either. Staying focused is also a huge part of being an athlete, their undivided attention goes to the sport they participate in and never decide to get sidetracked by the other elements going on around them or in the crowd. As an athlete, I gained leadership by talking authority when no one else wanted to. Having leadership power always reminded me that I needed to be the best I could be because others were looking up to me as a role model for how they should act. Being dedicated as an athlete reminded me to never give up in the hardest circumstances. Even if it means me being hurt from one race I would never give up and put my team in jeopardy just because I was temporary hurt, I would just keep pushing through to get finish what I started.
In conclusion, even though I am perceived as an athlete I do not stick to that label entirely so I am “bad,” as Gay would claim. I may not work out every day like some, and I may not follow the diet regiment, but I will always have the determination and give my all when I am participating in the task I have been given. I will consistently be a leader and focus my teammates in the right path while regularly giving my undivided attention and respect to my coaches and the authorities. Having a label means different concepts to different people and even though I do not put a label behind myself it doesn’t mean other people don’t also, humans are more complex than just a brain, a bag of bones ,and a label so you should never stereotype someone on how they look, act, or dress because you never know how other people describe themselves.