It’s not just ‘a sports thing.’ Successful people always ‘want the ball’ at critical moments.
Imagine that you’re a football player, on the sideline before an offensive play. It’s late in the 4th quarter and it is 3rd- and-12 on your 35-yard line. It’s under 1 min to play and you have to make a 1st down for your team to have a chance.
The coach draws up the play and the offensive goes out on the field and lines up. As a player on the offensive side of the ball, what goes through your mind? There’s a lot of pressure, for sure, but you have confidence. No look of defeat is allowed!
Courtesy: Manchester Magic
Let’s switch sports. In a basketball game, you’re down by 2 with 8 seconds to go. The big question is always the same: Who”ll get the ball to make the final shot? Some players live for that moment–like Michael Jordan did. Jordan once said: “I want the ball. I may miss it or make it. But the point is that I want it.” Others think differently: they don’t want the ball.
In that football game, the only option is wanting to make that first down. And in that basketball game, the only option is to want the ball.
Self-confidence betweens with believing in yourself. Parents and coaches need to instill that into every youth who plays sports — believe in yourself. And it’s not just ‘a sports thing.’ Successful people always ‘want the ball’ in critical moments.
