Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1512 to educate young "princes" on the particulars of ruling. Those
lessons were derived not only from his study of the ancient Greeks and Romans but also
from personal experiences with princes of the warring Italian city-states. Seeing as I believe Machiavelli was
unemployed at the time of its writing, The
Prince can be read as the most famous job application ever prepared.
Channeling my inner Machiavel, this letter sets forth the lessons I learned while training and competing in athletics. Much like the famous – or infamous, depending on your point view – Florentine before me, the lessons learned and described herein reflect twenty years of personal and second-hand experiences. Some were gained from conversing with teammates, others the hard way – through making mistakes. I urge you to heed my words now for their truth is revealed only with the passage of time.
Channeling my inner Machiavel, this letter sets forth the lessons I learned while training and competing in athletics. Much like the famous – or infamous, depending on your point view – Florentine before me, the lessons learned and described herein reflect twenty years of personal and second-hand experiences. Some were gained from conversing with teammates, others the hard way – through making mistakes. I urge you to heed my words now for their truth is revealed only with the passage of time.
First and foremost, compete.
Always compete. Never back
down. You may have grown up in the
"everyone gets a trophy" era, with parents and teachers praising your
"special" abilities, but there are most certainly winners and losers
in competitive athletics. Compete every
day: in practice, in the weight room, wherever.
If a teammate challenges you to eat fifty eggs, go all Cool Hand
Luke-style on them and get it done. The desire to compete – and win – in anything
and everything carries over to gameday.
"My boy says he can eat fifty eggs, he cant eat fifty eggs."
Second, ditch the pre-madonna attitude. Be the strong silent type. Every year I get more and more pissed off watching national high school signing day for Division I football. The kids have turned the whole event into a charade. Congratulations you are now one of a thousand of Division I scholarship athletes. Win a Heisman Trophy or become an All-American, then carry on like you are a BFD ("big fucking deal").
Third, practice your craft.
Every day. On days when formal
practice is not being held, spend an hour addressing a technical flaw or sharpening
your visualization skills or watching past practice or game tapes. Consistency is king. Fundamentally, training is nothing more than
moving a big pile of horse manure across the yard. On the days you feel great, carry a
shovelful, maybe two; on the days you feel crappy, carry just a spoonful. But keep moving that manure. Be relentless. And be prepared for the stink.
Four, protect your dreams.
The word I heard growing up was "doubters," now they’re called
"haters," but the difference is irrelevant. Losers always try to convince others their dreams
will escape their reach. Don't
listen. Insulate your dreams by surrounding
yourself with positive people and supportive coaches. Distance yourself from everyone else. Every year hundreds of high school and
college athletes are selected in the Major League Baseball draft, why can't you
be one of them in four years’ time?
Five, take care of your body. It was the great John Denver who sang, "early to rise, early in the sack, thank god I'm a country boy." And contrary to what some might lead you to believe, nothing good happens after midnight. When it comes to meal time, make sure you consume enough calories to support your training, but do not rely heavily – or at all, if possible – on pizza and other junk foods for fuel. Garbage in, garbage out, trust me. Eat something fresh and green at least twice per day. Fresh spinach is tolerable in an omelet with whole eggs and bacon. If you don't know how to scramble eggs or cook an omelet, use your iPhone for a Youtube search. Limit alcohol consumption. At some point in the near future this will be more relevant than it is today, but in the meantime remember the best-looking girls never waste their time talking to the drunk guy passed out on the couch.
Five, take care of your body. It was the great John Denver who sang, "early to rise, early in the sack, thank god I'm a country boy." And contrary to what some might lead you to believe, nothing good happens after midnight. When it comes to meal time, make sure you consume enough calories to support your training, but do not rely heavily – or at all, if possible – on pizza and other junk foods for fuel. Garbage in, garbage out, trust me. Eat something fresh and green at least twice per day. Fresh spinach is tolerable in an omelet with whole eggs and bacon. If you don't know how to scramble eggs or cook an omelet, use your iPhone for a Youtube search. Limit alcohol consumption. At some point in the near future this will be more relevant than it is today, but in the meantime remember the best-looking girls never waste their time talking to the drunk guy passed out on the couch.
And finally, reflect periodically on why you are training and what you are striving to accomplish. Are you playing for the right reasons? If you are playing to satisfy someone other than yourself, give greater thought to the matter. If you are playing to see your name in the newspaper, give thought as to why you think this is important. But remember this, and remember it always, when you lose the desire to compete in training, walk away from the sport immediately, else you run the risk of suffering deep disappointment. This, too, I know.
Rich
