Get in the Wheelbarrow!
What type of commitment does it take to reach your full potential? In the 19th century a French tightrope walker, Jean Francois Blondin, gained fame by walking over Niagara Falls on a 3 inch round strand of manila rope that stretched over 1100 feet and was 160 feet above the dangerous rapids below. He first crossed successfully in 1867 and made numerous trips later, each more bold. He crossed blindfolded, with a man on his back and finally pushing a wheelbarrow. As the story goes, after crossing with the wheelbarrow he asked the crowd if they believed he could push a man across in the wheelbarrow. They answered enthusiastically in the affirmative. However, they were not as enthusiastic in their belief when he asked for a volunteer to get into the wheelbarrow so he could push them across the Falls. That would have required them to commit their very lives to their belief. And that is the type of effort that it requires to fully succeed at any endeavor, especially at the highest levels of wrestling.
Are you giving your entire life—your very self in the effort? Many will not because they do not believe strongly enough that they will be successful even if they give their full effort. Others, like me, were able to rationalize their chances for success without putting forth the full effort. I firmly believe that if you make a full commitment that it will be difficult for you not to succeed. And, in the worst case, you will be able to look back when you are finished and not wonder what you might have done if you were fully engaged.
“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you are committed to do something, you accept no excuses, only results.” I am not sure who said that but it is very true for our sport. If you want to be fully committed then you will not let anything stand in your way. YOU CONTROL YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES! And that does not happen at the end of the year when you get to the NCAA Championships or World Championships. The effort has to be made now while you still have time to train. What obstacles are in your way of making a full commitment? Are you in the best training situation? Is your lifestyle conducive to proper training? Are you working with a sports psychologist and a nutritionist? Are you doing everything in your power to improve and get better? Are you placing yourself in the hands of your coach and listening to everything he or she is telling you?
How do you fully give yourself to achieving your goals? It is not that difficult as we all realize what is in our way of being our best. If you do not know what is holding you back ask your coach or a trusted advisor. Then eliminate every one of those obstacles in your way and train each and every day with full commitment. You may think your time competing is long but it really is a small portion of your life. For those in college it is a very short four years. International competitors may have five or ten years at most. Then it is behind you and you are left to wonder, “how good could I have been if…?” Get in the wheelbarrow now and eliminate all the “ifs” today and train to reach your goals. Because it is not enjoyable to look back and wonder…
You can find this article and more like it on my website www.mywrestlingcoach.com.
