National Testing Week... aka the week before break.
Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
-Michael Jordan
The week before break is always filled with tests, and this year soccer tryouts were at the same time. One thing I’ve always been told by my parents is “do your best and leave the rest up to God.” If you always give your best, in school and athletics, it’s easier to accept failures because you know it’s not due to your own faults. It’s also easier to jump back up from failures and as Mr. Emerson implied, we are considered more successful if we overcome failures. Tying in to that idea, the theme for the soccer program this year is “Unstoppable: We are the only ones who can prevent us from reaching our full potential.” During our season, we are going to hammer home the idea of always giving 110%, not being afraid of mistakes, and maxing out each individual game, practice, and drill to reach our potentials. That’s why Emerson’s quote stuck out to me so much. Those that have the strength to fall down and get back up are way more memorable and glorious than those that just never fall. Everybody remembers when the underdog wins a championship, but those with undefeated seasons go (for the most part) unnoticed. One important thing to remember is that failing doesn’t mean you’re terrible; it just means that you are willing to take risks and try new things. My coach often says that “the best players make the most mistakes.” That doesn’t mean go out and purposely answer all the test questions wrong or intentionally make bad passes. My coach pushes us to take risks so that we can learn and improve ourselves. However, to take risks, your team has to support you and forgive you if you do mess up, which is hard sometimes because we as humans are so competitive. But winning isn’t everything; developing good character, having fun, and being the best you can be is more important. It’s with those things in mind that a team can reach it’s potential and be able to spring back from mistakes.
Let these words inspire you to take risks and not be afraid of mistakes. Tune in again next week for whatever this week has in store for me.
~Nat-tastic