5 Types Of Mates On Your Sports Team

There's nothing that'll bring you closer to your mates than going through a full season of a sport together. No matter whether it's super competitive, high-stakes stuff or just your local social comp to take your mind off the daily grind, there's no better feeling than competing alongside your mates to try to bring your rivals down.

As special as you think your team is, almost all of them have the exact same staple roles which certain players will assume. Their faces and names may be unique, but deep down, every team has a few stereotypes that inevitably get filled.

1. The Hungover One

This friend is a friend you can depend on... to boot mid-way through gameplay. No matter how important the match, no matter what day of the week it is, no matter how hectic life is atm - you can trust that they had the “looooosest night ever” the night before. Commonly seen avoiding any direct sunlight with a Gatorade bottle in each hand, this mate cherishes the half-time break like no other.

2. The Overly-Competitive One

It’s round one of your division 3, Sunday night mixed netball competition and the Overly-Competitive One is about to lose their shit because you’re only ten goals in front at half time.

@msdewyluv literally anyone who plays weekend sport knows the deal #saturdaysareforsports #fyp #nettylife ♬ Cognac Queen - Megan Thee Stallion

From this teammate, you can expect mid-week training sessions, hour-long warmups before the match, inspirational pep talks at half time, blow-ups at the ref for being “bias towards the other team” and discussions on strategy in the team’s group chat. This mate can be tedious to endure at times but you’ll love them for it when you reach the finals.

3. The Just-Here-For-The-Bants One

Also known as the We-Needed-More-Numbers-To-Complete-The-Team One, this mate clearly has no interest in whatever sport you’re playing. They're here because they love you all and, well, what else were they gonna be doing on a Saturday morning if all of you were busy playing anyway?

This mate cares not for winning or losing and will often be heard on-field asking “What are you up to after the match?”, trying to ensure that the good times with friends keep rolling beyond the ref’s full-time whistle.

@jezbreezy ok but red was the best house lol #fyp #tiktokaustralia #primaryschool #aussie #sportscarnival #colourhouse #nostalgia ♬ original sound - Jeremy Franco

4. The Dark Horse

These mates will fly under the radar for weeks. They will quietly do their role within the team and do it well. Often a strong defender in your soccer team, or if it’s footy then they’re the one who threw the unimpressive but crucial pass to set up a fellow team-mate’s try.

The Dark Horse seeks no glory and often has no clue as to how good a job they’re actually doing. The season could be nearly over before the rest of the team even starts to realise how pivotal a role the Dark Horse plays.

5. The Waste of Talent

We’ve all got that friend who is way too good to be in your team. The Waste of Talent was the prodigy at school. They’re the team captains, they’re the strategists, and they can literally carry your team to an otherwise impossible victory. This is the type of mate that other teams complain about, saying that he/she should be playing in a higher division.

As a youngin the Waste of Talent looked certain to make a career out of sports, however, there are a variety of reasons as to why they threw it all away. Maybe they had a bad injury, too-strong a love of partying, or maybe they just loved something else even more. Either way, you’re very grateful to have them in your team.

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