Coach's Thoughts, 1/11 - Risk Failure to Gain Success

RISK FAILURE TO GAIN SUCCESS ... a theme upon which I will elaborate in a moment.  But first another congratulations on a great day for our team yesterday at the Ocean County Championships!  Although my season of lying continued (like how I have been 'lying' about the schedule)...apparently, not all the events were tallied when we left yesterday, so we actually had the 7th most points, not 4th.  Still, a great day as far as I'm concerned - I highlighted some of our best moments on the bus and they were plenty - PRs, medals, points, and improvements were abound!  Mostly, as has become our signature, it was all achieved with the right attitude - being supportive teammates, hard working individuals, and fierce competitors!  A tradition of an expectation of excellence is being born (shhhh).

Now, on to my new quote and a look ahead.  Success and achievement are wonderful things and bring with them prideful moments and memories.  But success can also be fleeting if we get satisfied.  I don't think that we are a team that gets satisfied with just a little success, but we are also a young team and we may not be aware of exactly how much we can achieve or, more importantly, how to get there.  So I offer you this quote:  "Risk Failure to Gain Success."

We all get a big boost of improvement early in the season from just getting into 'track and field shape' and from repeating our events once or twice.  But we want to sustain these improvements for the long haul.  So we need to do more - and in practice we will do more repetitions and more miles and more lifting, but our real success will come from our mental capabilities - our willingness to take risks.   Just some examples would be pole vaulters getting onto a bigger pole, sprinters starting their races faster, or distance runners starting their kick earlier.  Already Taylor has tried to warm up with the boys shot, Megan has committed to a new lifting routine, and Shannon has accepted trying out a newer, longer event than she is used to.  Conversely, Hope and Synne have taken risks by being conservative in their recoveries, which seems to be paying off for both of them.  (Sometimes it's hard to be patient!)

So, what will YOU do?  What risks will YOU take?  How will YOU take YOURself to the next level?  Whatever it is, approach it with a committed attitude and a deep rooted desire to improve.  Understand that the risk of failure is a big one and it does not guarantee success - and in fact could backfire - but those who risk most greatly tend to achieve most greatly, as well.  Communicate.  Consult with your events coaches, ask for suggestions, share your own ideas, and get after it!!  There is so much out there for us to achieve, we just have to ask ourselves what we are willing to risk to get it.