All I Needed to Know I Learned from Sports
Teamwork:
Being a people-person is one thing. Anyone can be friendly and outgoing, at least from time to time. True teamwork requires much more. First and foremost, there must be mutual respect among the members of the team. Second, teamwork calls for buying into a common goal or mission. Third, there must be an understanding of the roles on the team, and a willingness of the counterparts to assume whatever role is required for them to play. One of my favorite quotes that sums up what it is to be a team is from the movie about the 1980 US Hockey Team, Miracle: “It’s time you start learning that the name on the front of your shirt is more important than the name on the back”.
Commitment:
Commitment is never really tested when things are going well. It’s easy to be committed when things are going well. But how important is the objective when things get routine and mundane? Consider the commitment it takes for D-III athletes to play their sports. They play without the promise of scholarships, without the hope of much recognition and likely, without much hope to play their sport beyond college. Yet there is a relatively thriving D-III conglomerate in this country. That is commitment. It’s loyalty to a goal and/or to the others involved that endures even when things get boring and there are external or internal influences that are more appealing. That is when commitment is tested.
Perseverance:
Perseverance is pushing forward when circumstances are difficult. It’s the breaking point for most everyone else. For those who persevere, it’s the point in which they dig deep and draw from an inner strength that seems elusive and difficult to measure. Perseverance requires getting comfortable being UNCOMFORTABLE. It’s awareness and acceptance that in the pursuit of excellence, there will be pain (mental and/or physical) and embracing that notion knowing that, the pay-off will be personal growth.
Self-Control:
In some ways, self-control is synonymous with self-denial. As an athlete, our sports become automatic and instinctual. Usually when we think, we make mistakes. However, self-control requires that we keep some contact with a cognitive rational side that can anticipate consequences following actions. Any athlete can recount a time when they’ve been pushed to the limit of their patience either because of a series of bad calls or an unethical opponent or even an irate, perhaps overbearing coach. However, reacting impulsively can have profound consequences, beside the fact, that more often than not being reactive only reflects poorly on that individual. Long after people have forgotten the game and the incident, they still remember the reaction. Being able to control emotions during competitions is critical to success.
Resilience:
Being resilient in a few words means bouncing back from failure. You cannot grow without failing. If winning is all you know, there is no reason to change anything. It isn’t until you’ve been defeated, that you are required to examine your methods and make adjustments to your strategy. In essence, learning is taking place. Learning is what keeps us improving and advancing. No one likes the taste of failure, but if you succumb to defeat, you’ll rob yourself of the opportunity to progress.
Accountability:
It’s difficult to admit mistakes, yet we all make them. Few people realize however, that failing to admit when we’ve made a mistake, gives up our power. On the field, we’ve all had the teammate who is never culpable for mistakes. It’s always the other guy/gal who was out of position or mad a bad cut or pass, bad calls by the officials, not enough playing time bad coaching, etc., etc. When mistakes are never your fault, you can never do anything to avoid them. Essentially you’re a victim of all of the uncontrollable. Being accountable is accepting the responsibility for our choices and behaviors. There is NOTHING more powerful than that. In doing so, we assert that we are in CONTROL of what we think, say and do. In that position, change is always possible.
Humility:
What makes us humble? It’s funny that most times when I’ve heard athletes or entertainers remark about a humbling experience, it’s when they’re the recipient of an award and are being told how awesome they are. Yet, they would give the impression that they had no idea that they were so good at what they do. It’s not that I find those speeches disingenuous; it’s just that I would go out on a limb and guess these superstars probably had some inkling that they were pretty darn good somewhere along their rise to stardom. On the other hand, as an athlete (though less than stellar), being able to push my body to its limits is profoundly awe-inspiring, knowing that there are people who live with all kinds of physical disabilities that prohibit them from simple movements that we easily take for granted.