STANDING in the baking heat for hours on end, with no protection from the blazing sun, dust being whisked up into our face, the glare bouncing off the brown earth and piercing our eyes, while we are only occasionally called into action; standing in the freezing cold with a biting, driving wind blowing sleet and hail in our face and penetrating through the three layers of clothes that are meant to provide some comfort and warmth, while our legs are drained of energy through layers of mud and water; staring defeat in the face, yet again, with our confidence shattered, with team-mates shouting, arguing, complaining, moaning, criticising, and opponents taunting, mocking, grinding our face and our dignity into the dust and dirt; through each and every of those scenarios, it is fair to assume that we may well be tempted to pause and consider this question: Is sport worth it?

Is sport worth the highs and lows, the hopes and fears, the dreams and dramas?

It is the sense of fulfilment and sense of achievement, the satisfaction and the significance, the enjoyment experienced and the lessons learned; they all add up to balance the blood, sweat and tears.

It's a burning joy and strength, and yet it is also blood, sweat, and tears; humbling defeats and exhausting victories."

Bear Bryant, a successful American football player and coach, echoed that sentiment in saying: "There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success."