Imagine this. It's the bottom of the 9th inning, bases loaded, two-out, runners in scoring position, and your team is down by 1.Better yet, it's the 4th quarter, no timeouts remaining, down by six, and it's 60 yards to the end zone.Another situation:90 minutes have gone by on the pitch, 0-0 score, and now we come to the shootout.
These are classic moments we have all dreamt of as kids growing up, and possibly even had the opportunity to be a part of one of these scenarios.So, how did your dream moment turn out?Did you hit the buzzer-beater, knock in the winning run, edge out your competition by the smallest of margins?
But what happens in real life when the game isn't so tight, the lead is not in your favor, or when you know the runner ahead of you has a better race kick than you?Do you quit?Give up?Play less physical or aggressive?What do you do when you are sore, tired, or don't feel like training?
If you have ever seen the classic 1970's movie of "Rocky", you may have seen the sequels as well.In 2006, "Rocky Balboa" was released and had one of the most iconic monologues for mindset, determination, and staying the course.For those who have not seen the movie, Rocky is talking to his son about losing his identity and focus.He tells his son,
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!"
I once had a friend of mine told me this expression:"Stay the Course".It wasn't until recently that I realized what the phrase truly meant."Stay the Course" simply means push through advisory despite the difficult obstacles in your way.It means to continue to strive for excellence without excuses or blame.It means putting one foot in front of the other, day by day, in hopes of reaching your goals.It's the willingness to re-channel negative energy, ignore the naysayers, and grind for what you want.
My son and I have been doing this handshake since he was about 7 years old.He's now 13 and an avid cross country and track athlete.At the end of the handshake, we always say, "Think fast, be fast, run fast!" We started doing this because he would get really self-conscious about his ability to win.We always told him not to focus on the win, but to improve himself, focus on his race, and not worry so much about the competition.When we have a positive mindset (Think Fast), and a positive affirmation (Be Fast), it results in positive action (Run Fast). He stays the course.
Like many of you, I also have had trying times in life that could have easily led me to change my mind, do something different, or just throw in the towel completely.Times that could have led me to believe that someone was working harder than me, was more successful, or was getting better results because they had better opportunities in life.But I stay the course.When faced with difficult times, we must remember to stick to our goals and the processes that will lead us there.We have to remember that we are on no one else's time frame for success or completion.We must understand that our success is built on the efforts we put in and our failures are mealy learning opportunities for our greatness. We gotta Stay the Course.
We also have to remember that we all need a little support. A handshake, a mantra, or positive affirmation that we can achieve what we set forth to do. This can come from a coach, a peer, or from that intrinsic voice that motivated us to get started in the first place. Just know that we at Sound Sports Performance and Training LLC are here to help kick-start that inner drive of determination again.Stay the Course, my friend!
Written by Federick Brooks
November 16, 2021
Federick "Fed" Brooks is a Master's of Science graduate from A.T. Still University, Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, and USA Track and Field Coach with over 10 years in the fitness industry as an athlete, practitioner, and educator.
