In competition, if you are not chasing toes or the tick of the clock you are not competing in the race.
C.J.MacKechnie
==========================You gotta be chasing something. It is the fight part of your animal brain which is very close to the flight and freeze parts of your animal brain. Flight and freeze probably won't aid you in any victory or besting a personal best. The flight part of your brain involves fear and this is negative. A negative emotion may not get you a positive response or outcome. Freeze is also a negative emotion and of course freeze won't win you any race, let alone begin a race.
On your mark,
get set,
Freeze.
Doesn't work in a race. Does it?
==========================Good sportsmanship is more than just congratulating the victor or your fellow competitor. By preparing for the race and giving your all during the race. You bring meaning to the victor as well as a clear understanding to those who came after. It is important that when you are on any team. That you do more than just be present and socializing with your other team mates. Encouragement, working out together and racing during practices are just some necessary steps in preparation for the next competition.
In preparing for your big events or meets will require you to work out all year long. Which is above and beyond what the high school, colleges, sporting organization or YMCA coaches require of you. When your season is done. Twinkies and coke do not become apart of your diet, neither does the couch and Scooby Doo on the T.V.
This is the time for strength and power training,
speed and flexibility training,
Cardio and Perfecting your technique training.
All mixed together and altered from time to time. In order to maximize your physical and mental developmental potential.
In a team environment the leaders are those who are the performance leaders on your team. They are the go to people in regards to goals, training regimens and diet. It doesn't really matter if you think you are not a leader or an example to be looked up to. You are by the simple merit of being the best on your team.
Imagine your on a narrow ladder with everyone else. Your all going up the ladder at different rates of speed. You have the slow people, the social partiers, the performance driven, the coaches and the learners. If no one is helping or assisting any other person. You have a quagmire which goes no where fast. To the social partiers on the team it won't matter to them until they are 40 or so years old. The social partiers are just there to have fun and nothing else is really of importance. Which includes winning.
It is necessary for the performance team leaders to pull everyone up on the ladder of goals and accomplishments. Just as it is necessary for everyone to push up everyone higher than you. In this way with everyone doing both pushing people up and pulling people up. You all get up the ladder together as a singular united team with a common goal. It doesn't matter if you are on a team and compete individually. You need your other teammates and coaches to do both push you and and pull you up. Just as you will be required to push people up and pull people up. This is just one thing which makes a successful team work.
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For the stars on the team. By you leading your team mates to perform at a higher level. It will cause you to perform at a higher level. Thus, you improve when your team mates improve. The whole of how you improve will be much greater than simple performance improvements. Your Character becomes more developed. The leader you thought you could never be, becomes a certainty. There is 3 improvements in you and there are more. Ask your coaches for more details.
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Musings of an American Truck Driver
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http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0985310308
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1477629769
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