Today, in the world of college athletics, one little bump in the road, one bad day, one hardship can create a player to seek another opportunity. This opportunity offers no guarantee. It could offer a better financial benefit, which is predicated on being able to fulfill the expectations of the new staff. 

The “grass is greener” analogy has never been more prevalent than today in college athletics. Yes, players should be rewarded for their contributions to the schools. Yes, a player needs to have the freedom to change their mind. But perseverance and determination are still fundamental traits needed in our everyday life to fuel our ability handle life’s tough terrain.  

When Tom Brady was an underclassman at Michigan, he dreamed of being the starting quarterback. He began his career as the fourth string quarterback and could not advance much further. He never was given the opportunity to compete. He was never given the time to showcase his skill set, other than a few meaningless plays each practice. He was stuck and transferring seemed his only option. Transferring then, was way different than today. It required the player to sit out an entire season before regaining eligibility. Nonetheless, Brady felt he had no choice. So, he went to his coach to express his desire to transfer. The coach listened intently to Brady’s belief that he was being ignored. His coach replied, “Brady, I want you to stop worrying about what all the other players on our team are doing. All you do is worry about what the starter is doing, what the second guy on the depth chart is doing, what everyone else is doing. You don’t worry about what you’re doing.” Coach reminded him, “You came here to be the best. If you’re going to be the best, you have to beat out the best.”

Brady gained further advice from Greg Harden, a counselor in the athletic department. Harden instructed Brady to treat each rep as if it were his Super Bowl. Don’t look at the number of reps, only strive for making each one his best. Which would require being ultra prepared, ready for any assignment. 

“They’d put me in for those 2 reps, man, I’d sprint out there like it was Super Bowl 39. ‘Let’s go boys! Here we go! What play we got?’” “And I started to do really well with those 2 reps. Because I brought enthusiasm, I brought energy.” Using the Harden tactic, soon, the 2 reps went up to 4 reps. Then from 4 to 10, “and before you knew it,” Brady said, “with this new mindset that Greg instilled in me — to focus on what you can control, to focus on what you’re getting, not what anyone else is getting, to treat every rep like it’s the Super Bowl—eventually, I became the starter.”

What often goes unnoticed or untold in this wonderful story is Brady’s commitment to his preparation. Harden’s advice to focus on what Brady could control is only the first step. Without being prepared, being fully vested in the work off the field, Brady could have made a mistake, which would have negated his enthusiasm and energy. Being upbeat only gets you so far. Being mentally sharp allows you to take the next step. There was no margin for error, so Brady had to know his subject matter as well, if not better than the coaches. And he did. 

Focusing on what we can control is important. Being prepared mentally is as important. Leaving at the first bump in the road doesn’t allow a person to gain the knowledge needed to become the best.

As the Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov once said: “Wisdom comes not from age, but from education and learning over time.” When Brady’s moment arrived, he had the wisdom and the enthusiasm. 

We need both. We can only gain both when we fight through adversity.

Training to help you be smarter, kinder, braver and more curious … towards others, and towards yourself. Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of the best-selling book The Coaching Habit. Called “the best book on coaching” by author Seth Godin.

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