A football player, soccer player and baseball player all walk into a bar. . . Well, maybe not.
But if they did, they would all get along wonderfully because they’re more similar than you might think.
Nevertheless, they all do walk onto a field, determined to win and are driven by a surprising factor: their personalities.
Players’ personalities on the field vary across different positions and sports.
Yet, the greater personality difference you would believe, say, a linemen on the football field and a goalie on the soccer pitch might have, the more striking similarities you will encounter because of what it takes for each of them to win.
Football
Football is all about specialization. Each player has a direct responsibility based on the position he plays.
The exaggerated personalities football players often exhibit are all part of the job.
Offensive lineman Ulrick John finds linemen have to be exceedingly aggressive to accomplish their jobs.
“On a scale of one to ten, I go out there with a ten,” John said. “[Linemen] are bigger. We’re in the trenches, we’re hitting every single play. We have to have a certain level of aggressiveness.”
Wide receiver Jordan Giles found the personality for his position to serve a different purpose.
Since receivers might only touch the ball three to five times a game, they must prove to themselves, and the quarterback, they deserve to get the ball.
“You have to be confident when your time is called that you’re able to cash out,” Giles said. “There’s a thin line between confident and cocky. But in anything you do you have to be sure of yourself so you can get the job done.”
Giles claims receivers require a “finesse” personality because of the smooth and controlled traits that go into playing the position well.
Soccer
A successful soccer team requires a garrulous player personality from each player.
Whitney Ravan, a forward, declares the personality of the team is based on seeing the whole field and communicating to everyone what needs to be done.
“Everyone kind of needs to be a leader,” Ravan said. “You don’t really have a choice. You need to step up and help your teammates out.”
While soccer players need that gregarious trait, Ravan also pointed out aggression is a necessity.
The goalkeeper has these same personality traits, but breaks away from the homogenous team personality by developing breathless courage and even a little cockiness.
Rebecca Ingram, a restrained, humble person off the field, gains an intensity and fire that glimmers in her eye just talking about the game.
From Ingram’s perspective, the forwards and midfielders control most of the game, but most of the game’s weight rests on the defense.
Therefore, the goalie has a juxtaposing personality of being a selfless leader and egotistical.
“I have a cockiness in my head that I have to be better than that player,” Ingram said. “You have to present that cockiness in order for you to believe.”
Baseball
Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics.
Baseball personalities lie across a broad spectrum, much like football, because of the wide range of tasks each position must fulfill.
Outfielder Chris Triplett describes his game personality as dominant and confident– these are traits he believes make him play his best.
The outfielder finds regular playing time to be a contributing factor of players’ different personalities.
“Position players pretty much play every game and pitchers pitch once a week, maybe twice a week. So, [the pitcher’s] focus needs to be pinpoint,” Triplett said.
Jerry Stuckey has this laser focus and exudes it on and off the field.
A pitcher’s personality is similar to a goalkeeper’s and lineman’s.
Stuckey, like Ingram, has to believe he is better and can overpower any brawny athlete he faces.
In addition, Stuckey’s aggression is an important element of his game, exactly like John.
“If I don’t have the attitude of being dominant on the mound, that affects me the rest of the game,” Stuckey said. “You have to know that everything your doing on the field is right.”
