WHAT WE LEARN FROM THOSE WHO WERE THERE FOR US AND FOR EACH OTHER
Today is 11 September… the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center in New York, along with those at the Pentagon and in an
airplane in the skies above Pennsylvania, reportedly headed for the White House.
Reflecting on the tragic loss of nearly 3,000 lives, people of
every race and color, along with the heroes who saved many other lives or gave
their own lives in that effort…. It is worth noting what one firefighter said
when rushing into the burning towers. “It’s
my job … and some of my fellow officers may be in there and need my help.”
Apart from the honor which their memory asks of us, I mention this
because I have found those thoughts to be very relevant to athletes who look to
succeed and are often faced with challenges and obstacles.
“It’s my job.” Not all ball players have things go their way. They
don’t always get the minutes they would like. Sometimes they don’t get the ball
passed to them by selfish teammates. It
can be very frustrating!!
One way to overcome that frustration and keep the game positive is
when a player reminds himself about the value of being a professional, the kind
of player who accepts the bad times along with the good because “it’s my job.”
I once worked with a team where we spent some time exploring issues of team
leadership. It turned out that one
player, who only got into games when the team was up by 25 points, was seen by
his teammates as one of the players whose leadership meant the most to the team’s
success. He could have easily become frustrated by his lack of playing time…
but he always chose the attitude of “doing his job” over feelings of
frustration.
Being ready to help your fellow officers. – or your teammates – is
also an attitude that can mean a lot. In wars, from World War 1 to the
present-day, soldiers have often reported that the one thing they kept in mind
during the heat of battle was to be there to help the guy next to them. (See my previous post "Lessons from our Fighting Forces")
A ball player who was frustrated by mistakes he would make, and by
the yelling he frequently got from his coach, sometimes found his game
spiraling downward. After talking about things, we decided that a good way for
him to stay motivated to play his best was to tell himself “I am out here to
help my team as much as I can.” When he took the focus off of his individual
play and put it on the team instead, his play tended to stay at the top level,
and he also reported feeling better about things when he was out on the court.”
Eleven years ago we were reminded that some things are much more
important than sports. But if we are able to draw inspiration from the heroes
of September 11, it seems to me that is a great way to keep their memories
alive.
