By: Ellie Friedlander, Lead Intern

There has been so much basketball to enjoy all March long with records falling left and right. Viewership and attendance soared while Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese led each of their teams to their first trip to the ‘ship, with LSU taking the crown.

As I watched the tournament, I thought about how I could learn from these athletes, even in another sport. Here are my takeaways from March Madness:

• Set lots and lots of goals. 

Every team that gets a bid in the tournament wants to win every game. Although every game can only have one winner, there are so many other goals that can be achieved unrelated to the scoreboard. For example, Caitlin Clark of the runner-up Iowa Hawkeyes broke Sheryl Swoopes’s legendary tournament scoring record.

Pro tip: Throughout the season, don’t forget to set process, performance, and outcome goals.

• Enjoy every victory. 

After all the wins, every team’s locker room celebration was a party. No win was taken for granted. Everytime you reach a goal you set, you should celebrate too! Whether it’s ending a tough week of practice with ice cream with your teammates or a victory dance after hitting a personal best in competition, give yourself that moment to be excited! You have worked so hard and deserve to party once you reach your goals. 

• Everything happens for a reason. 

It can be so disappointing to see your favorite team lose (shoutout UConn!). But, not every season can be record breaking for a single team. Not every meet or competition is going to go your way or end on your terms. When that happens, it sucks, but there is so much to learn from a “loss.” What can you do better next season? What area is there room for you to improve in? Answering those questions for yourself can be a game changer in your next season. 

This was such a fun tournament to watch. I know I was watching games on my phone in between races at meets. I hope you enjoyed it to and are counting down the days until college basketball starts again.