Part of modern Snowflake Syndrome. “I’m just so plucky & persevered through all of these super-hard circumstances where I was the only one who believed in myself!”In almost every athletes sports story and especially in female sport stories it seems that a victim senerio is played over and over. It's overused and it's depressing to say the least if not skirting the truth just a bit at times.
I'm not talking about athletes that were truly victims of thier era where it's valid struggle. No doubt sports has transcended most of these inequities seen throughout our society and not all of them have been rectified. Overall more equitable and inclusive for all IMO.
I haven't read a sports success story latey without some story involving some woe is me angle. To be fair most these tales of struggle and strife aren't normally written by the athletes.
It seems most of these accounts are written by marketing people pushing products or pimping training because connecting with these top athletes failures helps make them relatable, marketable. Why? Because everyone can identify with being wronged, or being a victim.
Normal victim speak for top athletes involves one of the following or multiple variations of the following. Most are cherry picked to find some relatable issue sometimes even pushing half truths or one sided story lines kids and parents can relate with. It's semantics 101 at its finest.
"I was told I'll never be a pitcher." (Probably was the #3 pitcher on the team. Already had 2 pitches prior to that athlete wanting to pitch and working at it hard last week)
"I wasn't the #1 catcher on my team" (probably the #2 catcher because she's a year or two younger than the #1 catcher leaving the TB team for college and she was great a 2nd base)
"I was told I wasn't good enough to play softball or start" (Probably had to do with parents being a pain. Coaches were trying to run them off and had nothing to do with the player. Maybe just being on an elite team rostered with 20 other great players or playing 6 years up and the coach didn't recognize future greatness.)
"Nobody understands me. I'm different from everyone else on the team." (Duh Reality- Everyone's different period and in that way you aren't different from everyone else. We're all unique, if we weren't the world of sports would be pretty boring)
"I was cut from my high-school team" (no talk of grades or the attitude guaranteed to get you cut or making you ineligible. Just conveniently left that part out, it just sounds better)
"I was short for my sport, or I was too tall for that position" ( when all else fails find some reason to document your life's bumps in your road to greatest.)
Every time after read these stories I look up the player to get a better understanding of the purported wrong done to them. I feel ripped off when I find 2 or 3 pages of amazing statistics, and endless array of accolades heaped upon these suposive victims of the world. Nothing but positive and quiet a contrast from what we're originally sold.
Help kids relate to the top athletes hard work usually not seen, or documented. Don't forget to minus that victim part.
It's ok to struggle and not being number one in everything and don't expect to have instant gratification because you decided to practice for the first time outside team practice.
Kids are listening and reading their heroes stories and emulate this victim mentality.
Life's easier without dwelling on the negative although this might not be as compelling when trying to sell your life story.
Steve Stifler understood:
I'm special. You're special. We're all just a bunch of special fuckers, aren't we?
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