Subject of my morning Tweets today has been soul. Im not talking about James Brown or Ray Charles soul, heck I dont maybe I am, maybe they are closely related. But Im talking about competing at a different level. Im talking about something more than thinking about what youre doing and trying hard to do it. Im talking about finding, discovering the ability to reach down deep inside oneself and come up with something else in your effort. As Im typing and thinking of this I can really only recall a few times I was able to do this as a sprinter in my life, of course were talking 40 years ago so maybe Im missing a few in my memory banks, LOL, maybe this is why I was so mediocre. On Saturday, I witnessed something that was totally amazing. On first down we had a holding call, loss of 10. Next play we took a sack. Repeat the down on the holding call so now were looking at 2nd and like 32. Coach Formaz or Coach Ward makes a great call of a pass play and our Q hits our RB Kevin Herman on a swing pass out of the backfield. Kevin heads up our sideline right in front of me and somehow, someway gets the first down by like 5 inches. I watch him and can see the effort in his eyes. I could see him practically will his way in and around defenders and to the far stick. I could easily tell that on this play his competition level was somewhere different than just thinking about it and doing it. He was not going to be denied. The further he headed up field the more you could see the intensity of is effort increase as he approached the first down stick. There could have been a defense of 14 or 15 players out there and he wouldnt have been stopped. You could see it on his face and in his eyes that he had reached deep, deep down inside to bring forth this effort. He could feel the first down and willed himself into gaining it. It was something awesome to witness. Easily, neatest thing Ive seen in quite awhile. As teachers, as coaches, how do we teach this? Can we? Im not sure we can. Im not even sure this is achievable or if one wants it achievable in every form of athletic competition...a sprint, yes. A football run as I have described, for sure. Perhaps in wrestling or in a drive to a basket it may apply, but, its probably not applicable to a mile run or cross country run until the very end, the kick. How does this apply to effort made when it comes to learning and comprehension? Does it, can it? Maybe the best we can do is write about it and describe it and hope others will find a way to make such an effort.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:06:25 +0000
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