I was anxious as I stepped into the first practice because I did not know anyone and was scared of upsetting anyone. But soon, the butterflies in my stomach were replaced by a sense of comfort fostered by the supportive individuals around me. The team's constant high fives and words of encouragement gave me the courage to get up after failures, and the team taught me that a single mistake will not ruin the entire game and most definitely does not define a person. This quality is deeply embedded in our team and is what brings us together. 

During a tough set when everything seemed to be going wrong, and game point was approaching for the opponent, we stayed calm by uplifting each other. When someone made a mistake, we would tell them they would get it “next time." Of course, it also requires extreme determination and resilience to carry on after a failure. But Windsor showed me many times that nothing is impossible when we face a problem as a team. Being part of the team means caring deeply for others and showing up mentally and physically to practices and games. Sportsmanship includes qualities like compassion and commitment, and that's what truly matters in school sports.

At Windsor, sportsmanship goes beyond cheering the loudest in the gym. We strive to build a community by uniting students through inclusivity, encouragement and positivity. On the court, that means being a supportive teammate, a respectful opponent and being thankful to referees, coaches and anyone else who makes sport possible at Windsor. Off the court, it means carrying the same values into the classroom. It means being a supportive classmate, embracing failures as part of the learning process and keep pushing forward even when things are going out of plan. According to a very inspirational teammate of mine, “don't stress, let's just have fun and enjoy the process."​