Coach T Shout Out: Commit or Quit
Hopefully many of you experienced a joyous Christmas season and rung in the New Year with the love of family and friends. It's that time of year again, when people tend to reflect upon all their successes and disappointments from the previous year and begin to plot out contemporary approaches for the New Year by making resolutions to eat healthier, exercise, get stronger, faster, smarter, and so forth. Did you make one or more New Year's resolutions for 2009? As a former All-American Division I athlete at the University of Missouri, I feel confident that I can communicate several things from my own personal successes and failures, on and off the court. Read my thoughts on something so relevant in January, that it is part of my life skills arsenal all year-round.
The New You -Embracing Resolve
by Tracy EllisWard
I must confess that I have made a few resolutions in my day. Some lasted a week, others a bit longer, but unfortunately even fewer made it to December 31, of any given year. I know you're probably wondering, what in the world happened, and how could I have given up especially so quickly. Well believe it or not, most of you probably have fallen into the quitter zone, like me, more than you would care to admit. In a recent survey it was noted that only 17% of people actually keep their New Year's resolutions. That means that over 80% of people give up! When I read this statistic, my first thought was, 'What losers!' Of course, I cavalierly mentally omitted myself from this pathetic group and held on to the fantastic notion that I am part of that glorious circle of champions. Since we all can readily identify with absolute certainty that the losing team doesn't do high fives after the game, it would stand to reason that those who want to experience success REALLY commit to achieving it.
Embracing resolutions means removing excuses and not getting side-tracked. The new you MUST move definitively towards the things that are clearly an integral part of your desired outcome...that league championship, that A+ on an exam, that optimal relationship. Just imagine what your current team would be like if 80% of the players quit mentally. What would happen if you didn't commit to homework, reading scripture, or even dare I say, texting, 80% of the time? Basically what would your entire life look like if you are on a consistent path of apathy the majority of the time? This inquiry alone should be cause to ponder, and ask yourself, 'Do I quit or commit?' None of us want to admit we are quitters, especially in sports where winning is lauded and clearly a lot more exciting and fun than losing. Great coaches always have a game plan for every competition. The new you must be committed to a game plan too. Success does not happen by accident. You have to commit to it whole-heartedly. Anything less than a commitment is just setting the stage for personal frustration and ultimately failure.
Whether you have made New Year's resolutions or not, is not the point here, but finding out where your commitment level is will make all the difference in your life. We all have dreams, wishes, goals, and desires that could make Santa's list pale in comparison. Experience has taught me that most goals that are not attained are the result of lack of commitment. Girls especially tend to get easily discouraged when obstacles are placed on life's 'happy trail.' We females can get caught up in so much drama that every other facet of life gets impacted, so instead of resolving to press toward our goals, we get tangled in the quitters' web. Being a committed person means preserving through the tough times and even doing those unpopular things among your peers. It tends to be easier for most of us to blend in with that 80+ percent mentioned earlier, on several fronts. There is a paradox that I find in the word resolution since its root, resolve, means the process of reducing things into simpler forms. In many ways people's lives reflect the fact that it's a whole lot simpler to do what the crowd is doing, however Jesus Christ did and continues to do the exact opposite - the unexpected and often miraculous! His love for the world should be cause for us to fully embrace any resolution and trust that He will help us in our quest. ###
Remember it's always better to commit (which is often harder), rather than quit. Isaiah 42:16 is a wonderful promise that God will guide you through unfamiliar paths, bring light in dark times, and make those rough patches in your life smoother. Be resolved to embrace what awaits you in the new year and commit! I'd love to hear what you will be resolute about in 2009, so drop me 'an email at tellisward@nbccamps.com, and remember to go to www.nbccamps.com for more "Girls Only" insights throughout the year.
Heart, Soul & Sport,
Coach T
Director of Women's Basketball & Whitworth Site Director
The New You -Embracing Resolve
by Tracy EllisWard
I must confess that I have made a few resolutions in my day. Some lasted a week, others a bit longer, but unfortunately even fewer made it to December 31, of any given year. I know you're probably wondering, what in the world happened, and how could I have given up especially so quickly. Well believe it or not, most of you probably have fallen into the quitter zone, like me, more than you would care to admit. In a recent survey it was noted that only 17% of people actually keep their New Year's resolutions. That means that over 80% of people give up! When I read this statistic, my first thought was, 'What losers!' Of course, I cavalierly mentally omitted myself from this pathetic group and held on to the fantastic notion that I am part of that glorious circle of champions. Since we all can readily identify with absolute certainty that the losing team doesn't do high fives after the game, it would stand to reason that those who want to experience success REALLY commit to achieving it.
Embracing resolutions means removing excuses and not getting side-tracked. The new you MUST move definitively towards the things that are clearly an integral part of your desired outcome...that league championship, that A+ on an exam, that optimal relationship. Just imagine what your current team would be like if 80% of the players quit mentally. What would happen if you didn't commit to homework, reading scripture, or even dare I say, texting, 80% of the time? Basically what would your entire life look like if you are on a consistent path of apathy the majority of the time? This inquiry alone should be cause to ponder, and ask yourself, 'Do I quit or commit?' None of us want to admit we are quitters, especially in sports where winning is lauded and clearly a lot more exciting and fun than losing. Great coaches always have a game plan for every competition. The new you must be committed to a game plan too. Success does not happen by accident. You have to commit to it whole-heartedly. Anything less than a commitment is just setting the stage for personal frustration and ultimately failure.
Whether you have made New Year's resolutions or not, is not the point here, but finding out where your commitment level is will make all the difference in your life. We all have dreams, wishes, goals, and desires that could make Santa's list pale in comparison. Experience has taught me that most goals that are not attained are the result of lack of commitment. Girls especially tend to get easily discouraged when obstacles are placed on life's 'happy trail.' We females can get caught up in so much drama that every other facet of life gets impacted, so instead of resolving to press toward our goals, we get tangled in the quitters' web. Being a committed person means preserving through the tough times and even doing those unpopular things among your peers. It tends to be easier for most of us to blend in with that 80+ percent mentioned earlier, on several fronts. There is a paradox that I find in the word resolution since its root, resolve, means the process of reducing things into simpler forms. In many ways people's lives reflect the fact that it's a whole lot simpler to do what the crowd is doing, however Jesus Christ did and continues to do the exact opposite - the unexpected and often miraculous! His love for the world should be cause for us to fully embrace any resolution and trust that He will help us in our quest. ###
Remember it's always better to commit (which is often harder), rather than quit. Isaiah 42:16 is a wonderful promise that God will guide you through unfamiliar paths, bring light in dark times, and make those rough patches in your life smoother. Be resolved to embrace what awaits you in the new year and commit! I'd love to hear what you will be resolute about in 2009, so drop me 'an email at tellisward@nbccamps.com, and remember to go to www.nbccamps.com for more "Girls Only" insights throughout the year.
Heart, Soul & Sport,
Coach T
Director of Women's Basketball & Whitworth Site Director
