Accomplishment in sports can be a tricky variable to define. At times within our competitive society, it seems that only medals and ribbons and championships matter in gauging an athlete’s success. However, young athletes need to understand that everyone can define accomplishment for themselves, depending on their own aspirations and goals. As we grow through athletic experiences and go through physical  changes as we age, it is also vital to understand that this definition will evolve. Accomplishment is a fluid idea.

This sense of achievement is something we are all in search of as human beings living in our society, but athletes seem to feel the pressure of success even more than others. In turn, an athlete’s personal perception of accomplishment is fundamental in their development as individuals.

Mr. Cunningham, the psychology teacher here at Arlington High School, teaches his students about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This pyramid begins with basic physiological needs, such as food and water, and then grows to the abstract “state of being” at the top, where individuals realize and come to their full potential. In order to reach this state of self-actualization, esteem needs must be met before, meaning people need to experience the sensations of both prestige and accomplishment. With accomplishment being so key in the American sports culture, the way a young athlete defines personal accomplishment is pivotal in both their present and future mental health.

Here at AHS, the student body is comprised of a variety of athletes that partake in both school related and non school related sports along with other extracurricular activities. Within this diverse range of athletics, many versions of accomplishment exist.

Kevin Mullin (’17) is a varsity distance runner on the track team and a varsity athlete on the cross country team who has competed at the state level. He also is a member of the band, and won a state title with the Arlington Hi-Q team in 2015. When is comes to accomplishments, Mullin said, “my personal definition of an accomplishment reflects on what other people think- it’s really the only way to gauge that.” He said, “If nobody thinks it’s an accomplishment, then I don’t really think it’s an accomplishment.”

Sidney Trinidad (’17)  views accomplishment very differently than Mullin. Trinidad is an avid rock climber who has competed on the world level; a varsity track athlete who’s a top contender in the state for many of her events; and is also a varsity cross country runner who has competed at the state meet. Accomplishment for Trinidad is being “happy with your performance.” She continued, “Everyone has different goals, and if you achieve them, you should be happy with yourself.”

As juniors, both Mullin and Trinidad have reached a point where their versions of accomplishment have been refined as they encountered more in their athletic high school careers. “I used to always just want to win everything, especially in track and rock climbing, since those are my two main sports,” said Trinidad. “Now, I kind of just want to be more of a leader to others, show that hard work pays off, and achieve my goals. I want to make myself happy by doing the best I can.”

Contrastingly, Mullin says that his definition of accomplishment has been more stagnant and has always been based on the way others view his achievements. However, he has experienced change as he has gone through high school in a different way. “In middle school, I didn’t achieve anything really. [In high school] I have gotten better at stuff and achieved more stuff,” said Mullin. In this sense, Mullin has found more things that give him that feeling of accomplishment that is so commonly sought after by athletes, which has influenced his achievement mindset.

As Mullin and Trinidad displayed, accomplishment is an abstract idea that is not the same for everyone, even for athletes who partake in similar sports. An athlete’s life will continue to change over the course of their lives, therefore their definition of accomplishment will forever my malleable. Athletes cannot only focus on winning the hardware that comes out of our sports culture, but rather what really drives them to compete and athletically participate. To really grasp the fact that accomplishment isn’t a single standard for everyone and understand the life-long revision process of our views of achievement,  investigating the diverse range of athletic accomplishment and perception is valuable. Find what drives you, and don’t be afraid to drift from the conventional idea of accomplishment.