I have a teenager working for me part-time and I recently observed that kids nowdays seem to be doing a lot of networking. For example, he accomplished letting a girl know he really liked her by having one of his friends tell one of her friends. When it got to her, she was curious enough to check him out. They dated for a while, but are now just friends, which is also cool.
We all tend to want to hang out with people who we know like us so at the very least, you can gain a good friend by letting them know you like them. At the least, you just have to take the plunge and let them know, or you will never know how they feel. Nothing ventured....
In life, you just have to find the fortitude to ask the questions. I was fortunate enough to have an older friend who helped me immensely in this area. He'd have been great in a sales job because he taught me that sure, I was going to hear lots of "no's". But, if I asked enough times, I was going to hear some "yes's" too. You just have to keep asking!
And being a former jock, I must agree with Jacen. Athletes have confidence. A big part of it probably comes from the fact that they are always out there in front of hundreds, or maybe even thousands of people putting their skills on public display. Without a doubt this gives one confidence.
Another factor is that being an athlete puts you in the better position of sometimes being "the hunted" more often than happens for non-athletes. Obviously, there are exceptions to this, but I think it is a fair generalization. I guarantee you that that gives you some confidence.
So, my advice to the original poster is that you have to dig down within yourself and find a way to let her know you like her. She may not reciprocate, but you might at least gain a good friend out ot it.
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