3 Lessons I Learned From Sports

I spoke tonight at our winter sports awards night representing the school's administration. Preparing my remarks gave me the opportunity to reflect on my time as an athlete, and for the first time in a while I thought about what I learned from competitive sports and how it's benefited me as an adult and a professional. Part of the speech is below...

Congratulations to all our winter teams on such a successful season of win loss records, playoff appearances, and league championships; congratulations to all of the individuals who earned all-star honors, and congratulations to all who receive individual recognition tonight.

But rather than use my time tonight to speak about accolades, victories, and the tangible rewards that come with athletics I’d like to share with all of you 3 lessons I learned from competing in high school and college sports that I still apply and still hold true going on 15 years later. More than any individual plaque, medal, or trophy I received. these lessons have proven to be far more valuable and leave me truly thankful that I competed athletically for as long as I did.

The 1^st lesson sports taught me is that gratification is rarely instant. I've played in games and competed in races where I and my teammates did everything we could possibly do as well as we possibly could do it, and we still lost. Similarly as an adult, I've gone for job interviews where I said all the right things and did everything I was supposed to do and still did not get the job. I've prepared endlessly for lessons or meetings that just didn't go as well as I thought it was going to go. And that’s ok. Getting frustrated is pointless, blaming others is toxic, and giving up should never be an option. Embrace the process, keep working hard to get better, and the payoff happens. It may not look exactly like you thought it would, and may not happen when you thought it was going to, but it’s still sweet.

The 2^nd lesson sports taught me is that excellence is a habit. It’s not just about playing, racing, or cheering hard; anybody can do that. Athletic excellence comes from training hard, from practicing perfectly, from not letting your ego stunt your own growth, from taking care of your body. Similarly I’ve learned that excellence in the workplace isn't about just showing up on time and doing my job; it’s about constantly learning new things, keeping up on the latest educational trends and developments, visualizing important meetings or conversations, and doing my homework so I’m prepared act intentionally throughout the day. Worded another way, athletics taught me that long-term success can come only by purposely matching my lifestyle to my aspirations.

Summer 2005 - Rowing with Riverside Boat Club

The 3^rd lesson sports taught me is that trust beats talent any day of the week. The most successful team I coached really took off when I removed our most talented athlete. He had all the physical tools, but he was a loose cannon, he alienated his teammates, and his words and actions did not suggest any sort of commitment to his team. We couldn’t trust him, and all the talent in the world couldn’t make up for it. Similarly, I’ve worked with folks professionally who were highly educated, had great ideas, and a diverse skill set, but couldn’t be trusted. Sports taught me that people are at their best when they’re working together toward a common goal, and that we can beat me ten times out of ten.