THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH

Few things seem to be valued more in our culture today than convenience. You may even hear it referred to as a “microwave society.” We’ve come to expect that the things we want we’ll be able to get quickly and easily, and anything that doesn’t come quickly or easily these days is often labeled as flawed or obsolete. But I want you to see clearly today that in some areas of life – especially if we’re talking about developing champion athletes and people – it’s not the level of convenience that determines the quality of the product. In fact, it’s actually just the opposite.

The moments that actually determine who someone becomes, in any area of life, is more likely determined by their approach to what’s inconvenient. The truth is, the level to which they're willing to be inconvenienced is directly proportional to their level of care and their commitment to excellence. For any of us, it's our approach to those moments that really determines what we're made of. Anyone can be great when things are convenient – when it’s quick and easy. It’s when things are inconvenient that you really start to see what separates the champion from everyone else.

It’s when things are inconvenient that you really start to see what separates the champion from everyone else.

Take your child, the athlete, for instance. No matter their age or ability level, I’m sure you hope they'll be successful, both in striving to reach their own potential and in competition with others. So what will determine whether or not your dream becomes a reality? Will it be determined by what they choose to do in their moments of convenience? Of course not. Everyone will choose well then, and your child will, too – when they feel good and they’ve gotten plenty of sleep. When there’s nothing else in life to give their time or attention to. When circumstances line up in their favor and everything’s going their way. Any athlete can be great when things are convenient.

Instead, whether or not your child becomes a champion will more likely be determined by the level to which they’re willing to be inconvenienced. Will they be willing to do the necessary work when they don’t feel good, or when they haven’t gotten enough sleep? When they’ve got other things vying for their time, tempting them to blow off today’s work and take a well deserved break instead? Or when the circumstances of life seem to have turned against them, and nothing in the world is going right? Their choices in those moments will determine who your child becomes. The ordinary athlete will do the work when things are quick and easy, but the ordinary athlete won't be inconvenienced. That’s where the champion separates him or herself. It's what makes them extraordinary. It’s where their level of care and their commitment to excellence are most evidently seen.

The same is true, of course, for the champion sports parent. It’s no different for us, working to raise champion athletes and people, than it is in any other area: any sports parent can be great when it’s convenient. Everyone chooses well then – when they feel good and they’ve gotten plenty of sleep. When there’s nothing else in life to give their time or energy to, or when circumstances line up in their favor and everything’s going their way. It’s easy to go throw in the backyard, or rebound in the driveway, or stay late for extra practice when it’s convenient. When it's easy, everyone will show up early, have a great attitude, and work to help their child get better. As they say, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

But being a champion sports parent isn’t easy because being a champion sports parent is rarely convenient. The champion sports parent separates him or herself from everyone else by a unique willingness to be inconvenienced. They’re throwing in the backyard, rebounding in the driveway, or staying late for extra practice today even though they don’t feel good or haven’t gotten enough sleep. They’re showing up early and having a great attitude even though there are a million other things – with work, with finances, with relationships, you name it – that they’re required to give their time and energy to. They’re working tirelessly to help their child get better today even though the circumstances of life seem to have turned against them, and it feels like nothing in the world is going their way. This parent has separated themselves from the rest, and it’s in these moments that their level of care and their commitment to excellence are most evidently seen.

Being a champion sports parent isn’t easy because being a champion sports parent is rarely convenient.

I don’t know what it is that will inconvenience you today, but I’m sure there'll be something. It’ll probably be another long day. You’ll be tired and maybe frustrated, and a part of you will be begging to take it easy. You’ll have every right to do just that, and most people in your position probably will. But today, I don’t want you to be ordinary. Instead, I hope you'll choose to be extraordinary. I hope you'll choose to be a champion, one who’s accepted for yourself and who’s helping to live out for your child an important, yet rather inconvenient truth: that while most will say “sorry, not today,” the champion says “I’m on my way.”