It’s in the Preparation
June 22, 2015
By Chris LeGates, TCS Co-Host
In our most recent Tackling College Sports Podcast 009, Mark and I interviewed legendary rowing coach Steve Gladstone. I can listen to coaches talk forever, regardless of the sport, there is always something said that sticks with you, something that you catch yourself nodding in agreement with. The hour we spent with Steve flew by, and I found myself wanting to ask more and hear more from the man who started coaching in the 1960s. Steve has trained varsity oarsmen, collegiate champions and Olympic medalists with the message being the same. IT’S IN THE PREPARATION! We always follow our TCS podcasts with a blog that comes from philosophies or a quote that our most recent guests have mentioned. As I started to put this blog together, I kept going back to “IT’S IN THE PREPARATION”. Such a great philosophy for sport, for life. When we coach, we often tell players it is what you do when no one is watching that will help you succeed. We ask, and sometimes beg them to train harder, to give more, to push themselves beyond their limits so that they can perform at their best for that “one moment in time”. It is hard to have them buy into this thinking because that moment has not yet occurred. There is a fear that the moment might never occur, but as Steve told us, meets, matches, and races are won years in advance. They are won by those extra little things that student-athletes do in training sessions, in how they take care of their bodies and how they dedicate themselves to the betterment of the team or individual skills. When we think of the great champions of sports, we hear the stories of Tiger Woods being the first to the range and the last to leave, Michael Jordan being cut from his high school team and persevering to become the legend that he was, or of Pele, walking miles to play soccer on dirt fields using rolled-up socks or a grapefruit as a ball. Of course, these are the greatest of the greats, but, it certainly applies to student-athletes at every level. I often tell players I coach that, they must be prepared for when they enter the tryout scenarios – be the person who is ready when a coach asks for people to demonstrate. That when they make mistakes, they do not hang their head, they acknowledge the mistake and work harder to make corrections. That they love the sport and constantly have a passion for it. That love and passion will provide the blueprint by which success can be attained. It will allow the athlete the drive to train in the summer heat when other players are in the pool, at concerts, or inside on the computer. It will allow that player to put in the extra lifting sessions, after training when their bodies are telling them no more. It will push the basketball player to stay in the gym and shoot 500 shots while they work on their form. In life, it is the preparation that is needed to study for tests, write papers, go on interviews and be a positive member of society. As coaches, we are constantly preparing through scouting, practice, planning, and tactics. In all of these facets, if we veer off the path, it is okay to go back and refocus and adjust the design of the blueprint. Steve mentioned “the journey” many times, and it is a journey. The road has twists, turns, and obstacles in the way, but, if you follow your map and you stay alert to the changes, you will reach that destination of success. It may be making a team or contributing to a team, scoring a winning shot, getting that great grade on the test, or in the case of the Yale heavyweight crew, beating Harvard by 16.7 seconds in their 150th Regatta. Regardless of what the definition of success is, they all have one common denominator. IT’S IN THE PREPARATION!
TCS is always here for you so please do not hesitate to contact me at; info@tacklingcollgesports.com with any questions or comments. Please join us on Tuesday, June 30th, when we release TCS podcast 010 with renowned Sports Psychologist Dr. Jim Taylor. It was an outstanding session that we think will benefit all.
We hope that you are enjoying the TCS podcasts, website, and blogs. And if so, we ask that you please share us with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Good Luck and ALWAYS #BeYourBest
Chris
I believe kids these days, especially at the youth and in cases, the high school level, think they can get by on talent alone. They see and emulate players in the NBA but fail to realize what it took to get to that level. It wasn’t talent alone. And there is a lot of impatience in today’s youth. They don’t realize that it doesn’t happen ‘now’. It takes time, it takes dedication and hard work. They lack a work ethic that us ‘old schoolers’ did. And because of that they lack in preparation. They don’t see what it took for Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Pele to be the athletes they were and accomplish what they did.
Rich,
Thanks for your comment – we couldn’t agree more!
Best,
Mark & Chris