In professional sports, some players are superstars. These are the perennial all-stars, the future hall-of-famers, the athletes who are universally recognized as being that much better than the rest.

But there are also role-players—the athletes who aren’t the best in the game or the best on their own teams, but who find a way to do one particular thing so well, they become valuable contributors. They’re the great rebounders in basketball who always come down with the ball, the passers in soccer who can always find an open player, and the special teams player in football who can’t carry the team as a running back, but makes the key block during punt returns. They may not get all the accolades, but their teams would miss them if they stopped showing up.

Role-players are valuable outside of sports, too.

• Maybe you don’t have a leadership position in your club or organization, but you write so well that you created a regular newsletter for your members that keeps everyone informed.
• Maybe you aren’t the best violinist in the orchestra, but you can sight read so well that you’re always the first to play a new piece correctly.
• Maybe you didn’t get the part in the school play, but you were the most positive and committed understudy the teacher had ever seen.
• Maybe you aren’t a manager at your part-time job, but you’re so good at making customers happy that the clothing store always has a good sales day when you’re on the floor.
• Maybe you aren’t the best writer in your English class, but you’re willing to put your hand up and contribute when the teacher is leading a discussion about the book.

If you’re not one of the best, find a way to make contributions by doing something that you do excel at. Superstars—and colleges—need good role-players, too.