No matter what we do, what we accomplish, what we fail at, how we act, or even who we are, we will always face criticisms from somewhere, from someone. As athletes, we face an even broader range of criticisms coming our way, because we have the opportunity and responsibility to perform in front of many people.
And it's easy to criticize athletes; after all, we are the ones who put ourselves out in the spotlight, in front of so many people. Yet, what sports fans don't always tangibly understand is the sacrifice and dedication, the hard work and heartbreaks, the long hours and hurting bodies, the courage and fortitude that it takes for athletes to give everything they have for those few minutes of competition.
Some athletes might long for the glory of praising comments, might ache to hear the criticizing judgments, yet at the end of the day, all of us athletes can only answer to ourselves -- and God -- whether or not we have done our very best and have no regrets. We can't control how others critique us, but we can be in charge of our own efforts and our own behaviors. --- A. C.
