As a former athlete, I tend to equate life’s milestones to sporting events I’ve experienced. It’s just an involuntary reflex I think many old jocks develop.
“She had her baby? I’ll bet she’s even happier than we were that time we beat Carlsbad in the bottom of the seventh and Tigert made them stay for batting practice when they got home!”
“You’re nervous about the bar exam? I saw you hit two clutch free throws in the final seconds of the ’97 state basketball game, this is nothing.”
“You have to have major surgery? Well, you just need to get in there and get it done like the Bulldogs did in the 2015 championship game when Centennial went up 35-34 with three minutes left! Also, everybody knows they should’ve already been moved up to 6A.”
And while I know sports aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, you do have to admit that life is a lot like being part of a team. We come in as rookies, we count on our teammates to help us grow and develop, and when it’s our turn to be the veterans, we’ve compiled a little wisdom that can be passed down to the next generation.
With Graduation Day upon Artesia, the City of Champions is preparing to send its newest recruiting class out into the world. And while I refuse to consider myself eld enough to be amongst their elders, I do have a brief scouting report I’d like to pass along.
- Don’t always punt on fourth down.
Okay, yes, when it’s fourth and 40, go ahead and punt. If you’re on the football team, you’re probably playing Goddard at Wool Bowl with a Carlsbad officiating crew, and in that situation, literally no one knows what’s going to happen next.
But if you’re a recent graduate heading off to college, trade school or the workforce, become comfortable with taking chances you believe in, even at times when a positive result seems unlikely. If it doesn’t work, you’ve at least tested the water, and that usually results in learning something that will help you going forward. If it does work, those successful conversions are the greatest feelings in the world — and will give you a significant boost in confidence as you head for the end zone. - Anticipate on defense.
In basketball, if you’re the sort of player who can read the opposing offense, you’re probably going to lead the team in steals and lock down a Defensive MVP award. Anticipating a shot or a pass gives you the ability to prevent something you don’t want to happen from happening. So it is in the real world as well.
Be proactive whenever possible. Sometimes all we can do is wait, but that doesn’t make us helpless. Anticipating what a professor or a boss — or any of your interpersonal relationships, for that matter — is going to want or do is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the game, set yourself apart, and spare yourself needless stress. - Don’t jump the gun.
If you false start at a track meet, you’re out of the race without a second chance. (Which shouldn’t be the case at the high-school level, but that’s a column for another day.) In life, second chances are more frequently granted, but you should still always seek to evaluate every situation before you react.
Pressure can make people behave rashly. You’ll certainly encounter plenty of it as you begin to make your own way, but don’t allow it to trick your feet — or your mouth! — into going before your head says it’s time. You’re allowed to take stock, consider the pros and cons, and most importantly, ask questions before taking action. - Trust your goalkeeper.
Ten players — and yes, technically all 11 of them, in very unusual circumstances — could score a goal at any given time on the soccer pitch. Only one is specifically charged with preventing the other team from doing the same. Needless to say, it’s a uniquely comforting feeling to know you’ve got a good keeper behind you. Someone you can trust.
Goalies are like colorful backstops that get to use their hands. And we all need a backstop in life. Whether it’s your family, your friends, your faith, your cat, or that one song you put on full blast and sing along to at the top of your lungs when you’re alone in the car — don’t let what comforts you drift away from you in the great wide world. When you’re feeling anxious, turn around and remember that your goalkeeper is there and will have your back. - Be a switch hitter.
It’s not easy, literally or figuratively. If batting were simple, just imagine how long baseball games would last. Hitting takes skill, timing, judgment, finesse. And so does being a versatile and adaptable adult.
Adjusting to changing situations is not something most people can do without waging at least a small-scale internal war. People have comfort zones, and even when they’re prepared to step outside them, they like to know they’re still there whenever they want to return. Graduation is an unavoidable time of irreversible change in a young person’s life. But while that may be scary, it should also be exhilarating.
Try a different direction. Take on a new challenge. Fail and see that it’s not the end of the world. Succeed and learn you’re capable of more than you’ve ever imagined. And just remember that life is always going to throw you curves, but if you dig in, choke up, and keep your eye on the ball, there’s nothing you can’t handle.
I wish you health, happiness, love, fun, success, adventure and magic. It’s great to be a Bulldog! Now, Bulldogs… go be great.
editor@artesianews.com
