Some people say sports are just sports and nothing more. I couldn't disagree more. I have been around sports my entire life: my father was a coach, my grandfather was a coach, both uncles were coaches, my cousin is a coach, I played my whole life, all my sisters and cousins played, and I work as an athletic trainer. Needless to say, sports play a major role in my life and through my experiences, i see on a daily basis that athletes get life lessons that can be carried with them for the rest of their lives if they choose to listen.
This is really just a sleepless rant but i had to get it out. I recently wrote on being Fearless, (please read if you haven't) and one of my fears was fear of failure and being just mediocre. Tonight i was at a baseball game and our team was beat 14-0, other team getting 17 hits to our 3. It was embarrassing, not by the score but by the lack of effort. The lack of desire to compete. This team is a good team but has gotten into the habit of losing and therefore expect to lose when they take the field. Vince Lombardi said it best when he said, "Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit." After the game I talked to the team. I know i'm not the coach but t couldn't help myself. All i did was make a challenge to them. To Compete. Never stop fighting. In the first game their were so many small mistakes that made a huge impact on the end of the game. John Wooden once said, "It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen". I told them that everybody loses at some point in their sporting lives, but it's how they respond that's important. All i wanted was 9 people to get on the field and compete. Fight the fear of losing, fight that fear of their opponent, after all they are just guys like them with a different name on their jersey. Michael Jordan was once quoted as saying, "I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying". That is the point i was trying to get across to them
See these 16,17,18 year old kids don't get it yet, but they will. What they learn in sports can be carried over into their lives. How they compete can predict their future. Not always, but sometimes. Sports teaches us to communicate and work with others to achieve a common goal. It brings out leadership in people, and teaches us how to learn from failure It teaches us to act despite of fear.. Most importantly it teaches us to fight and COMPETE! In my last post I think my last words were never stop fighting. When we stop fighting we let fear win. They stopped fighting, accepted defeat and accepted their fear of being average win. That can't happen.
So what does this have to do with everyday life? EVERYTHING! When you go into your job and pressure gets placed on your back, are going to lay down and quit, or are you going to fight. When that new job or promotion opens up are you going to say "there's no way I will get it", or are you going to compete for it. Are you going to be able to communicate and work with your co-workers to achieve that deadline or finish that project. If you fought and competed in sports, that will show up in your daily life. Hard work and punctuality will not go unnoticed by your bosses. I believe leaders are born, but they are brought out in sports and during adversity. The ability to lead others to do things they thought impossible is invaluable as a worker. Things aren't just given to you in this world. You have to fight for it. All of this IS taught in sports. Whether you want to listen and truly believe is your choice. With my depression if i didn't fight or i didn't compete everyday i would be a complete failure. I don't know where I would be. But from being around sports I know you never quit. I know sports is not the only place you can learn these virtues, but the point of my rant is that sports is DEFINITELY a place where these important traits are learned. My advice, for whatever that is worth, admit your fears and act despite of your fears. Don't run and expect failure due to your fears, just compete. It's your choice to not hide behind fears and excuses. ADMIT YOUR FEARS AND FIGHT!
Masquerade
Masquerade in your web of lies
Your path untold through your smiling eyes
Shadows paint 1000 words
For what it's worth your voice unheard
Pain is creeping in
Your words become numb
Now you pay the price for what you've become
No comments:
Post a Comment