My goal everyday is to be better than I was yesterday. I have tried to get that same goal into my boys thinking. Note, I never tell them they have to be the best, as long as they give and do their best than success will find them.
Coaching youth sports I continue to witness grown men pushing their kids / teams to the brink of burnout and disdain for the sport. When it is beaten into them from day one they have to be the best what direction is there to go. I have seen dads/coaches make their kids run, do pushups and even eat dirt for making an error or mistake in a game. To add to this, over the weekend I saw a coach literally show his players how to hurt and make an opponent fall. The reason for this, a kid on the other team was giving his best and posting up on offense, the defense couldn’t get around him. The kid posting up was sealing his defender on every position. The “coach” had never worked on how to defend this so lets hurt the kid because its what’s best for him to win.
I remember the car ride home from games and practices as a youth and junior high player. I would be excited to talk about how great I did. My dad would talk about the areas I struggled or didn’t do the best at. That used to upset me as I wanted to talk about the areas I was the best at. As I got older I understood what my dad was doing. Why talk about the things you excelled at? There are always areas you can improve at and areas where you can improve your best. At 12 would does it really mean to be the best at something, is it really going to lead to a professional career.
One of the best quotes I have ever heard was from Tim Duncan, it said. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”
I have continued the tradition my dad started with me, for the kid who worked hard and was posting up and was threatened to be hurt. I told him continue to give your best, you don’t have to be the best at anything you do but as long as you continue to do your best you are going to continue to be get better.
I hope you are better than you were yesterday.
Enjoy your day.
TCB