What does it take to play college sports and excel at it?
This week, I talk about the extra things that set people apart from others and how you continually improve. This applies to all athletes at any level in life, whether with work or anything you want to improve.
In the movie Lone Survivor, about Navy Seal Marcus Latrell and his team, a quote said, “Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing; moderation is for cowards.” I take from it that you give everything you have to what you’re doing. Otherwise, it isn’t worth your time. For me, in basketball, if you are going to work at your craft and try to improve, you should overdo it. It applies to all aspects of your life, whether a job or relationships with friends and family.
For me, that quote regarding college basketball is about how you can improve what you are doing each day and overdo it. I believe that is by busting your butt as much as you can in every workout and meeting and by spending extra time in all regards. What I mean by spending additional time after practice is getting shots up, shooting free throws, and maybe getting more running in. If your body is hurting or sore, spend a few more minutes in the training room working on recovery or mobility. In any meeting, take good notes; outside of practice, think about what you can do better. Most people leave the gym and don’t think about what they want to do better the next day.
For athletes and people inspiring to improve, please take a note card and write a few positive affirmations that help to give you some confidence, and below it, write out some things you are looking to improve. At the beginning of any new situation, season, or year, write out goals for yourself that are obtainable and some that are a stretch that will push you to improve.
Kenny Smith, a long-time NBA basketball player and analyst, was talking about becoming a great player in an interview and said something that caught my attention. He said, “If you want to be extraordinary, it is nothing extraordinary; it is just a little extra in the ordinary.” That caught me off guard for a minute because it seems so daunting for someone to make it to the NBA and look back at a career like he had. It feels like someone like that has done something extraordinary to be there, but it isn’t that. Talent and athleticism are involved, but when boiling it down to work, some extra work each day sets you apart from everyone else. That boils down to doing every rep in the weight room when other guys are tired and might not feel like it. Throwing on a few extra pounds or doing an extra rep to push yourself that much more and getting up an additional 100 shots each day or week, maybe deciding to eat a little bit healthier instead of eating McDonald’s. When you do those things over the years, it adds up to thousands and thousands of more shots and hundreds of more reps when working out.
Hard work pays off, and I hope you keep working hard at what you are doing and trying to improve in all aspects of life. You will never look back and regret the extra work put in at the end of the day when it is essential to you.
