The fall and winter seasons are a time that bring old buddies and families together to feast in warm places till their bellies are full and to argue, dispute, and discuss football. A sport that is woven into the fabric of this country. So much work goes into each team, and the game is the culmination of tons of hard work from the coaches and coordinators and athletic training staff – everyone pitches in to get the team into the best possible shape to win. The team themselves train and practice for hours upon hours to perfect the game.
Sometimes, your team loses. This year two local teams lost big games and had no one to blame but themselves, the Giants lost a huge Thanksgiving game, and now they have to see where it fell apart. Below is an interesting statement I got from Coach Beach, the head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Hofstra University after the team lost the game that would have landed them a playoff position.
These are some motivating words indeed that will help you in sport, and in life.
Hold The Rope
Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 1 Football State Championship. Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 2 Football State Championship. Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 3 Football State Championship. Every year a team wins the WIAA Division 4 Football State Championship.
All of these teams have one thing in common. No matter how tough the training, school, or life in general, they did one thing together – they held the rope.
What is holding the rope? Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cliffwith twenty thousand feet below you. The only thing between you and afallt o your death is is a rope with the person(s) of your choice on the other end. Who would you trust to hold the rope so you could climb to safety? Who would you know who would overcome the fear of being pulled over themselves? Who do you know who would let the rope scar their hands and still not let go? How many people could you count on who would withstand burning pain and watch blood drip from their hands for you?
The next time you are with the team, look around and ask yourself; Who could I trust to hold the rope? Who could I count on to overcome th pain for me? When you look at every member on this football teamand say to yourself, they would all hold the rope. We are all destined to play for a conference championship, or possibly a state championship. You see, the team that holds the rope when the going gets tough wins. When the last minute of the game arrives and the score is close and fatigue and pain have set in, tell your teammates to hold the rope, overcome the pain and hold the rope for you. Then ask them to hold it for you.
Every year there are winners and losers in every sport. Every year the winners overcome the fear of failure and the threat of physical pain and hold the rope while the losers plunge to their death. If you prepare well by listening, learning, an providing effort when your coaches and teammates ask for it, and most importantly – HOLD THE ROPE – our team will be successful. In order for a team to win, and to win consistently, each member must choose to commit totally to each other and the teams goals. When you are asked to run, DO IT. When you are asked to lift weights with intensity, DO IT. When you are asked to eat and rest, DO IT. When you are asked to compete, DO IT and DO IT with total COMMITMENT.
Never let go of your commitment and intensity towards success. Always overcome, and always HOLD THE ROPE!
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In life, in training, as in football, hold the rope for success, and dont let go when the going gets tough, there is much more at stake than you think!
Stay strong,
Joey
