Get Over It!

When I used to coach basketball, I'd here a ton of complaints from my players.  "I'm not getting enough playing time!"  "These drills are too hard!"  "I'm not good enough!" "I'm tired!" and on and on.  As I coach I would hear so many negative thoughts from my players, and I knew what they needed.  They needed just a touch of something from me, and that was a bit different depending on the player.  For some, a swift (figurative) kick in the tail would work best.  For others, just a nudge or whisper of something competitive to get them going.  And yet for others, just a simple pat on the back, a smile, or a more simple message like, "You got it, I have faith in you."

What I would give right now to be a ball player again, and have my coaches give me some advice.  I wonder what they would say?  Heck, probably the same things they told me back then, and the same things I told my players when they were in my situation.  Give me a nudge, some kind words, or a swift kick in the tail.  The common theme, despite all of the different methods, is simply "Get Over It and Move On!"  There's always tomorrow, there's always another practice, another game to play.  That confidence is something that basketball gave me and many of my coaches and former players.  I know it's often tough to translate that into life sometimes, especially when life is tough on you, but going back to your fundamentals, isn't it a simple and elegant way to deal with life's struggles?

I remember specifically this one kid.  He was way too small to ever be a real factor, but I loved the kid dearly.  He worked so hard, never missed a practice, was so into the game.  He got real discouraged one day because we had some pretty killer workouts.  His shins and his legs just wouldn't let keep up with all of the track work (3 miles in 21 minutes, as a team) before practice, then 2 hours of practice.  We chatted for a bit, and he really wanted to quit, saying that his legs couldn't take the pounding, etc., that he was too small, and that he wasn't going to play anyway.  Well, I stopped all of that right there.  I told him to forget all of those negative thoughts, things that take away from your confidence.  Stop worrying about all of the 'noise' and 'other stuff' and focus in on the problem at hand, which is simply to run these 3 miles before practice.  He said okay, and that his shins hurt while running.  I thought for a bit and said, you ever think about wearing sweats while you run, keep your legs warm?  He said no, not really, but was willing to try.  Sure enough, his next 3 mile run was great, no pain, and he finished off the season on the team, didn't play much, but was as important to me, and loved by me, as much as the very best players on my team.  Just a little nudge, that was all it took.

So if you're stuck in the moment, and you can't get out if it (shameless U2 bite there), think about a former coach of yours or make up one, and have them tell you straight up, get over it, focus on the problem at hand, and move on.