Reflections of A Student Athlete

Discipline, greatness. When an athlete truly follows discipline, they breed greatness, for it is the foundation from which the student-athlete will build their many successes. The athlete who is disciplined on the course, in the weight room, and in the classroom succeeds more than they themselves thought possible. Discipline will make a great student greater; discipline will make a great athlete greater; if they fully allow the passion for excellence to lead them. Discipline followed by strict action yields the fruits of hard work, accomplished only by those athletes willing to push the very boundaries of themselves.  

 Sometimes it’s the people you least expect to hurt you, that cause the most pain. Be careful giving away your heart, for it is giving someone your soul and trusting them not to destroy it.

 Heart. Push yourself, be better, stay focused, and strive for greatness. Everyone wants to push you, everyone wants to make you work, but does it matter? What does it yield to tire over a life that circles endlessly? Pushing yourself to the limits in all actions and the results shall be more abundant and the hard labor of the strong shall be evident, so they say. Being an athlete is more than a title, it is a commitment every day to get up, and choose it, to invest in it, and to love every second of the work, or there is no reason. An athlete must have the heart of a warrior. The heart of the athlete must be totally and completely dedicated to their task. To truly be the greatest version possible, the heart must be connected to the love of the game, or it is all meaningless waste.

 Going to the gym at six in the morning sounds like a great plan, until it’s six in the morning. 

 Persistence. Be persistent in pursuing the goals you want; the easiest path is not always the right path. The road less traveled is truly the road well earned. Persistence and determination can only take one so far. Every morning is an opportunity for a new adventure. No one knows what each adventure holds, but everyone must seek the meaning of their own adventure with an open mind and a desire to live to the fullest. Work on oneself for oneself and by oneself; this is the way to live understanding the limits of yourself. 

 If the body is a Temple, coffee is the oil in this Temple’s lamps.

 Failure. Failure is an option. Failure will happen, one should not hide from it but rather embrace failure. Failure, brokenness, and hurt are all emotions that are necessary to succeed. Feel the emotion and let it teach you, then overcome it. Sometimes it is necessary to feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable; this is the way to be moved forward and to rise greater than before. For without failure, how would we know what success is? How would we know what a win is without losing? How would we know our distaste for failure if we never tasted the nectar of victory? 

 Golf is like life; there’s more than one way to play it, but the end goal should always be the same.

 Challenges. Change. Old ways will never open new doors. Be thankful for closed doors, detours, and roadblocks for they protect from paths not meant to be taken. Change should be welcomed into the life of an athlete. Adversary should be viewed as a challenge to be overcome and should be a sign of growth. The athlete who is truly seeking their greatness will never waver from a challenge. Rather they will face it head on and either overcome it or they will fail, knowing they gave it their fullest potential. If they fail, the athlete must rise again and learn how to conquer the challenge, the true athlete never quits. The athlete who can never be defeated is the athlete who knows their true worth. 

 If I had a dollar for every time golf made me feel like a failure, I would be a billionaire not a failure.

 Weakness. The soul is tired, the mind is weak, the body is broken, and the challenges keep coming. There is no time to rest, there is no way to breathe, and there is no way to quit. Perseverance is the driving force when the body is breaking and the mind is tired. Persevere to the end, outlast the lows and hustle through the valley. One day it must end, and the athlete who can force their way out will be stronger. Athletes will never know their true potential and greatness if they surrender to the weakness of the body. The body will beg for rest long before the mind is ready to quit. This moment when the body longs for nothing but rest is the moment the athlete must ask, how far am I willing to go?

 Powerlessness leads to struggles, struggles lead to growth, growth yields knowledge. 

 The man who has always been powerful does not know what it means to be weak. But the man who has been weak understands what it truly means to have power. 

 Rest. Rest is given to those who have worked. Without work, rest is laziness and allows for no growth or improvement. After a season of hard work, trials, competitions, and tests the athlete must be allowed to rest. The athlete must re-center themselves and allow for a calmness to sink into their very souls. This rest period should be used to re-energize every mind, body, and soul.  

 Tempestas eunt et requies adveneunt.

 Faith. Because of Jesus you are loved. Because of Jesus you can have peace. Because of Jesus you are enough. Because of Jesus you are free to be the person, the student, the athlete, and the Christian you were made to be. Never stop striving for greatness, but always remember where true greatness comes from. Without faith an athlete can never be anything more than an athlete, but with God an athlete can become a warrior. Greatness gets athletes trophies, but true and sincere faith gets athletes the eternal trophy all long to possess.