Today we are thrilled to share the winner of our Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 catalogue giveaway! Congratulations to…drumroll…high school student Manusree More! We asked for a paragraph on how participating in sports has impacted you personally, and our panel of judges were moved by Manusree’s account. She will receive a copy of the catalogue signed by Curator Kevin Jones and Associate Curator Christina Johnson. 

Below, Manusree eloquently describes her humbling experience going from ace athlete to team rookie, and the lessons she learned from seeing her commitment through. 

From a very young age, athletics were my home. Witty soccer player at four, all star basketball shot at eight, and newbie field hockey player at 14. Sports have taught me to clear judgement and push past the barrier that you build for yourself. Field hockey was something presented to me recently, I only joined because my best friend raved about all that it was. I hated it, going from expert to apprentice is far more demeaning than one expects. When my ability didn’t match my expectations, I faltered. In the scorching heat of August 5th, I got my first taste of reality for an athlete. Every mistake I made was scrutinized, let go, and brought up again. They called it conditioning for a reason. I felt the fabric against my torso stiffen as the sweat clung to its stretch and obstructed its movement. The gear on my face was not making things better, my sweaty palms helping me lose the grip of my stick. The only advantage I held as a newbie was my speed. Running was something I lost myself in, going fast was a good way out. That’s what I have come to love about field hockey. It allows players to exploit their individual talents. As the team’s Fly, a person who has to vigorously attack the ball in an intense situation, that is when I understood the conditioning. That is when I fell in love with this game. When I ran so fast from one corner of the field to the other to save my team from losing a point was when I fell in love with the game. The chase. The sweat, the people, field hockey. Athletics has taught me to let down my guard and be vulnerable, and that learning the nuances is far more important than giving up my pride.