Weekend Words – Tough Game

It has been said many times that the “game of life” is a really tough game. The longer I live, the more I agree with this statement. It often seems just when you’ve got it all figured out life knocks you flat on your back and you have to pull yourself up again.

But these tough times in life can be beneficial, too. The most successful ventures I have ever been a part of – in business and in sports – had one thing in common: a leader with a mental toughness about themselves that allowed them to remain confident and strong even when they were hardest hit. The most important aspect in these individuals’ success was not the way they handled victory. It was how quickly they bounced back from defeat that helped them succeed. They were also virtually fearless when it came to potential obstacles in their path. There was no opponent too big or tough for them to defeat.

I got a lesson in this very early in life when I first started playing football at the tender age of 8. We were going to scrimmage a team whose players were 2 years older than us and generally about 20 lbs. heavier. I spent a whole week worrying about how much bigger and older these kids were, and how badly they might beat our team. I whined to my mother about these worries all week, until she finally got sick of it.

She looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Ronayne, football is a tough game played by tough people. Maybe you aren’t cut out to play this game.” Talk about the message being on point! I sat there for a moment, incredulously trying to absorb what she had said. Oh, I got the message loud and clear, and when it came time to face that bigger and older team, I went out and had a fabulous game on both sides of the ball. It was the beginning of football career that included starting three years at Virginia Tech and being hired at the Catholic University of America as the youngest head coach in the nation at the time. And it all started with my mom’s tough but inspiring words.

Have a great weekend,

Ro