 Dear Student-Athlete,
You’ve been given a gift. An opportunity, A moment in time. It may not seem like it when your alarm goes off at 5am. When it seems like you are the only one lacing up your shoes to go train. When it’s the middle of the night, you are up studying, and you glance over to see your roommate peacefully sleeping. You arrive at a place where you get to do what you love, and somehow wish you weren’t there. You wish for the simple. To sleep in. Eat whatever, whenever. Yet…if you were granted that wish, you’d be miserable. Because the passion in your heart to compete is more powerful than the pleasure of temporary satisfaction. So how do you deal with the mental ping-pong of those thoughts? Embrace your platform. You’ve been given athletic talents. You have an opportunity to use them to help others. You are living out your calling, & inspiring countless others to do the same in the process. Progress doesn’t come without struggle. Success doesn’t happen without sacrifice. So the next time you feel like giving in, give more. When it feels like you’ve reached a breaking point, think back to where you started, and use it as the motivation you need to make this an all-in launching point. You were made for this. For such a time as this. The air smells different the higher you climb. Not everyone is made to thrive in that climate. But you are. You are hard-wired for it. You thrive on it. And that… That is your gift. You know the difference between thriving and surviving. The stark contrast between creating and caving. The clarity as to what it takes to achieve greatness, and the easy path to laziness. You’ve got this…even when it hurts. You’ve got this…even when others don’t understand. You’ve got this…even when doubt tries to push you down. And lest you think the only result that matters is… Finishing first. The lowest time. The best score. The gold medal. The top platform. The scoreboard. Those will never determine the end result. That is for you, and you alone to say. Don't get me wrong...I'm a competitor through and through. I don't like to lose. I'm not minimizing the effort that goes into winning, or the pain you experience as a result of losing. I've been on both sides of that coin, many times. What I feel like you need to hear...deserve to hear...is that as time passes, the lesson of competing as a student-athlete has roots that run far deeper than one moment in time. You'll begin to ask yourself these questions. And if you can say yes, you'll have gained far more than momentary recognition. Did you give your all? Did you honor every person on the journey? Did you show humility? Did you act gracious to your competitors? Did you sacrifice your personal preference for the betterment of the team? Did you come a little early, and stay a little late? And… Would you do it all over again? If for no other reason than the relationships you made along the way. Just to spend those long hours training with them. Just to ride the bus with them again. Just to laugh together, cry together…experience all of it together…again. Because at the end of the day… That is the truest definition of winning that I know. Make the decision to be intentional about building relationships, so that you create a team of influence. When that is seared into your soul, you can do far more than win a sporting contest. You, student-athlete… You will be ready to change the world. So please don't throw in the towel when it gets hard. We need you to learn every lesson you can along the way. For the calling that is on your life will be accomplished because of what you learned from them. Without them, life on the other side of sports gets harder. With them you are equipped to take on every challenge thrown your way, in a way that only you can. Because of that... You, student-athlete... You ARE ready to change the world. No time like the present. Lord knows our world so desperately needs it. And you? We...those you know, and so many you may never meet... WE. BELIEVE. IN. YOU. Compete today. Compete tomorrow. For it's in the lessons of competition you will begin to understand your calling's destination. And when that happens, run in that direction with every ounce of passion your heart can muster. You’ve been given a gift. An opportunity, A moment in time. Now, and in the future. You, student-athlete, were made... FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
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 Let's face it, we've all been there as coaches.
The game seems to be going along fine, and then something I like to call #FieldTilt, happens out of nowhere. Except, if we are being honest, it doesn't really come out of nowhere. It's a pretty common occurrence in sports. The challenge then becomes how do we respond when this moment arrives? I sat down and penned my take on it. Read through this short story scenario. You'll relate to it. I know I do. And you'll also have a fresh perspective about why #MentalCoaching is so important in the development of our student-athletes. #FieldTilt. What causes it? Momentum shifts and a team begins to play on their heels. But it starts before it becomes a physical problem. It even starts before players get quiet, and it’s a communication problem. It starts when doubt creeps in. It starts when moments of frustration become unwanted momentum. It starts in the mind. And once it happens, things get quieter. Touches get less clinical. And the field tilts. It’s as if the actual field is up in the air. The team "holding on" is playing at the bottom of the hill. When feet get tired, minds must be clear. Who you are. Why you exist. What you believe. How you do what you do. All of it working in concert. Clarity lifts the eyes. Clears the mind. Raises the shoulders. From heels to toes. From frustration to anticipation. From holding on to leaning forward. The field starts to tilt the other way. Your vision becomes your leverage. The fulcrum slides, and the match shifts back. In your favor. As you honor. Who you are. And what you do. Because at the end of the day…when you know WHO you are, you will know WHAT to do. So how do we, as coaches, respond? I've built a model that is changing the game, literally and figuratively, for myself and many others. The MVP Model. Mental. Verbal. Physical. When you are mentally aware of your entire surroundings, and verbally articulate about who you are, and what you are trying to accomplish...only then will you be physically able to live it out. And the bonus? This works... #OnTheField #InTheClassroom #InTheCommunity When you see and hear how to apply this, you'll be ecstatic! Don't have a process in place to combat #FieldTilt? Not sure how to build one? Wish it was already done, so you can move forward? Are you looking for a competitive advantage, when your team steps over the white line to take the field? Done, done, done and done. Email/call to talk about how to bring the MVP Model to your team. Tilt the field in the direction you want it to go, instead of looking up later, and realizing you could have. A physical advantage on the field, starts with a perspective advantage found in the mind. Ready to learn the MVP Model? Contact@WHOBIX.com 716-672-9661 5 Center Street Fredonia NY 14063  When is the last time you really slowed down?
When is the last time you valued investing in yourself over pouring into others? That last statement might have caught you off guard. You might have re-read it a couple of times. Maybe you disagree(d) with it, or at the very least, aren't sure how you feel about it. That all makes sense. But here is why I said it. If you aren't taking care of yourself, how can you have anything of substance to give to others? This applies to all of us, but especially to leaders that are responsible for the care of their followers. CEO's, Coaches, Parents, Teachers, Pastors, and the list goes on, and on. Let's use a common, everyday example to prove our point. We, myself included, boast about our posts. You know, the ones where we Facebook, Tweet, or Instagram pictures of #LateNightsAndLattes. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with being a night owl, or enjoying a tasty Latte. Some of us do our best work at hours of the day that others are checking their eyelids for light leaks. (That was a saying my grandfather used. Still love it!) But... Isolation can't replace the progress found in accountability. I was journaling the other day, and I wrote something that is a great reminder for leaders everywhere. Let's call it an epiphany. According to Wikipedia (which aren't most things, really?), an epiphany "is an experience of sudden and striking realization." Let's take it one step further, and create an acronym you won't soon forget. The Epiphany of ART.
Leaders are often rather artistic in nature. How they express themselves in their thoughts, words, and actions. That's where the aforementioned Epiphany of ART comes into play. So what does this have to do with #InvestInRest? You can't recover effectively without the "ART" of this epiphany. You have a calling. You need someone that will help you... Be accountable to it. Be responsible for it. Be transparent through it. That's where a Life Coach comes in. Not to solve your problems, challenges, and obstacles for you...rather, someone that will walk with you. Great coaches ask great questions. Great coaches help you leverage momentum. Great coaches call you out on stuck points. At the end of the day, as leaders, we need to stop bragging about our exhaustion levels, and spend that time doing one thing intentionally... #InvestInRest. Part of resting, is intentional investing. In you. Where are you at on the epiphany scale? Are you starting to have a sudden realization that this sounds like a need in your life? If you are ready to talk about what that looks like, I'd love to share the vision for how I work with my life coaching clients. Send an email: Contact@WHOBIX.com Call me: 716-672-9661 Reaching out is the first step to being more equipped to pour into your team. I look forward to hearing from you! |
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