Every Athlete's Worst Enemy

Every Athlete's Worst Enemy

Some athletes think they are not fast enough to play in college.
Or not strong enough, not tall enough. Not smart enough. Their conditioning is not good enough, or their test scores, or they have not heard from enough coaches.

These are the most common reasons athletes think they can not play.
But you know what all those things have in common?
They are external problems. Every serious athlete knows how to take on a challenge like that: hard work. You can drown obstacles in your sweat.

What’s the most crippling problem an athlete can have when it comes to recruiting?

Pride.

It’s pride that says, “I don’t need to reach out to coaches, I worked hard – they should come to me.” It’s pride that says, “I’ll play in college even if I don’t do anything.” It’s pride that says, “Division I or nothing.” It’s pride that keeps talented athletes from playing in college.

Pride comes from within, and the only way you can overcome it is to let it go.

It takes courage to be humble.

Michael Jordan and Tom Brady got cut from their high school varsity teams – how do you think they felt showing up at JV practice the next day?

How do you think Jordyn Wieber felt showing up to compete the next day alongside her teammates who beat her out for the individual all-around?

Not great.

But they swallowed their pride and kept working. And became champions.

And if those athletes can shrug off their pride and get down to business, so can you.