i've come to realise something very simple and very powerful about sports
and i suppose it translates, like most things that sports teaches, directly, and well, to life
and it's this:
every player just needs something small to get them started
just a little small successful something
something tiny, something that makes him feel good
a rebound, a little lay-up, a zippy assist, a series of well placed screens, a good catch, a well aimed flick, a corner won, a good strong header, a good tackle, a clean burst, a ball well struck but pulled foul,
any of these little successes, that needn't translate into something on the scoreboard, but are nonetheless appreciated by a coach, by experienced team-mates, or by the more knowledgeable spectators amongst the crowd
it's like when kobe scored 81. he hit one or two layups to start, and poof! off he went. sure, he scored a lot, a lot of jumpers, those weren't gimmies. and he took some really forced shots too. but the dude is so confident, it's really not advisable to let him get started feeling good.
what i'm trying to say is that so much of sports is so difficult. making a jump shot can be so difficult. throwing out a person at three, so difficult. making a pass on the run in rugby. making a throw into space through defenders in frisbee. controlling the goddamn ball in soccer is hard enough, not to mention having to swing in a good hard cross. and come on, golf is really, really difficult.
but you just get started, you just get a little something that makes you feel, hmm, today may be a good day, today may be a good strong day, today may be my day. and your friends start passing to you more, looking more to you, playing complementary to you. and things just suddenly make sense. doing all these difficult things just... makes sense. the mind's eye sees the patterns emerging, sees the spaces form, the bodies running. the body forms up into good technique, working on muscle memory. the timing, the motions are clean, the movement is quick and consistent, the teamwork and understanding develops. suddenly the difficult things become routine. and things feel good, things feel confident. things don't speed up anymore, now you have time to size up the opponent, to sense when he's unbalanced, out of position, overplaying one side, and hesitant. then he makes the adjustments, not you. and win or lose, the game is played the right way, as good as you could have done.
so i guess the moral of the story is this
to play sports, a person needs to have good hard training
but assuming you've reached a certain proficiency and experience
start slow, and pride yourself on the little things that you do well
let the game come to you. but be aggressive when necessary.
never take for granted having to do the difficult things
after all, if it were easy, everyone would do it
but remember that little successes go a long way
remember too that encouraging team-mates goes a long, long way
(even though i find it terribly frustrating that most don't take criticism well)
and it's impossible to do many routine things when stressed out
so always think of ways to contribute to the game, by hustling, by playing smart
don't be afraid to feel the ball a few more times, if only to pass it to someone else
earn your team-mate's trust not by demanding the ball, but by doing the little things that make things easier for them
and how does this translate to life, you say
well, i'll only say this
there are some days you feel confident
some days you feel lucky
and maybe if you really thought about it, it's because of some little breaks here and there that went your way
even a little encouragement, or someone laughing at something funny you said
i don't mean for these words to be a cure-all, cos' what you need is what you provide for yourself
but maybe when you're at a loss
a little bit confused, a little bit bewildered
remember that the little things can get you back on track
rely on your team-mates, be assured by their trust
don't feel sorry for yourself, and don't stress yourself any more
just, do the little easy things, and do them well
and one day when you realise that you've done something awesome
you'll probably think, this is still kinda sinking in, but it felt like yeah, routine
but you won't forget that it all started from those... one or two little things
and you feel humble because it really was your team-mates that made it possible
that's what i think is the true beauty of sports
that once in a while
just maybe
these things i just mentioned
are more important than Ws and Ls
now here's my challenge to you
when you watch sports
can you tell who's going to have a good day?
hint: it's in the little things he or she does well
but here's the real kicker, the real kicker
when you watch people
can you tell who's doing the little things well?
