Some of my stories are examples of enduring some hardship and/ or challenges to ultimately come out on top. When perseverance was rewarded … being prepared to tough it out and stick to the task was well worth the effort.
Stories of days and events that were significant in my humble sporting life.
Its not all rosy though you need to choose your battles. I clearly remember in the week leading up to the state barefoot titles one year I took a huge crash on the barefoot jump and knocked myself unconscious … face down in the water. I had to be dragged out of the water and provided some first aid, then spent the night in hospital under observation.
Upon leaving the hospital the next day instead of taking it easy for a few days to rest my concussion, which was clearly the best option, I was young and a bit too enthusiastic… I hopped into the water and tried to ski. I felt the pressure of the state titles being only a few days away so I pushed too hard. The fact was I had suffered a serious concussion so my balance just wasn’t there and consequently the competition didn’t go as planned. Lousy in fact !
A much wiser decision would have been to rest for a few days and probably arrive at the state titles in good shape on the weekend, with probably a better outcome. As I said choose your battles … push through the challenging times, but not when you are injured or you know it just wont work, thats the time to walk away, for now anyhow.
When you can recognise the time to dig deep and find something extra, you never know it may be just be a defining moment.
Being a parent or coach and sometimes both, demands a different responsibilty, you are sometimes in a position where you have to make that decision for others.
Decisions that dont come easy, when the correct option isnt easy to recognise and often tailored differently for the individual.
We have all seen parents that are way too soft on their kids, or the opposite … consistently hard on their children. There is certainly no simple answer for that one, but maybe a wise head can recognise it better from the outside looking in.
Thats why i guess it helps to be surrounded by people with experience, and a cool head often helps im sure.
As i said i dont see any shame in walking away when you know its the correct decision, glory can wait another day im sure.
Average Jim 