Wednesday, December 23, 2009

It's Yours, Now Hold on Tight

Opportunity presents itself in different ways. Sometimes you undergo changes during adolescence that suddenly provide you with a physical advantage. You may also learn to perform certain skills at a higher level, providing you with a competitive edge over other teammates. Other times an opportunity results from an external event—an injury to a teammate, someone deciding not to go out for the team, or your coach shaking up the lineup (when your team is not performing well).

If you’re ready for the opportunity, physically or otherwise, you can find yourself starting, receiving more playing time, or asked to play a more important role. As this opportunity unfolds, you may also begin to realize that you can perform at this higher level.

Whatever the opportunity, try to understand its nature, what has changed, and how you can consolidate your advantage.

You strengthen and consolidate your advantage by putting together similar quality performances, one after another. Much like the way in which you lock in an athletic skill through repetition, repetitive performances at a high level on your part will reinforce your sense of the possible and increase your self confidence. They root within you an unwavering belief that you can and will succeed. This confidence is important for those inevitable moments when you face adversity—when events don’t go your way or you’re having a “bad day.”

As your role within your team changes and improves, you will likely confront challenges from teammates who do not want to give up their position to you. You may encounter attempts on their part to undermine your confidence. If you have previously played a minor, lesser role to other teammates, they may try to intimidate you in different ways to see if they can weaken your new found confidence and status. This is natural—not all of your teammates are your best friends and willing to easily accept your good fortune at their expense.

Remember that it’s a competitive world and everyone wants their piece of it. Recognize your opportunity when it arrives, consolidate your advantage, and resist the inevitable challenges by others.



Copyright 2009-2012 Jeffrey S. Rhoads; All Rights Reserved

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