A Reminder...

 

This week is about some REMINDERS...

First, from Coach Lund:

We have all become a bit comfortable with our summer routines.  Things are about to change for all of us as school reinserts itself as a major portion of our lives.  We are ready to adapt...it is part of our mental toughness (which we really saw on the DPC).  Here is an adaptation that we must make as a team....

Our circle of contacts is about to increase on a massive scale.  To keep each other safe, physical distancing and mask wearing will be very important.  You have all kind of hung out together through the summer and thankfully everything has really been so far so good.  Starting Tuesday you will all be around 100’s of other people that you haven’t seen for months.  So, do what you need to do to keep your team and your coaches as safe as we can make it!  This is just another bit of a challenge we all need to conquer together!

Coach “Yobo” Lund

So...it is a good REMINDER to be aware that with school starting, we are going to be around A LOT OF PEOPLE.  If we will keep working at staying healthy, wash our hands, avoid hanging out in large groups of people that we don't normally hangout with (you just don't know much about their habits, etc), and realize that it might seem like a sacrifice to be a little more cautious, but it will go a long way...not just for our Team, but to hopefully get to keep our season and just do our part to keep others healthy.

Another REMINDER...if we are looking for things to "go back to normal" then you will miss out in the great things ahead.  We live in a World that is and will constantly change!  Don't overwhelm yourselves with feeling like you must know all the changes, but let us help you (let parents help you), to understand those things while YOU spend your time focused on going after your dreams!  Be excited to go back to school to LEARN.  It may not be perfect, but it's better than not "stretching" your mind to become better and challenged with new ideas!  Realize that the "new normal" is simply adapting to the changes around us and that it is ok to be careful, but at the same time, keep pushing for the BEST to happen!  Don't look back and wish you would have done it better, when you have to chance to do just that, RIGHT NOW!

Another REMINDER...The Habits of a CHAMPION!  Let's revisit the ones we have shared with you.

1. Self-Talk: How do you talk to yourselves?  What you say to yourself FEEDS your self conscious and then it affects your ability...especially when it gets tough.  For example, in a race when the moment gets tough and you're feeling tired, and its hot (or cold), and things are hurting...you might be telling yourself that you are strong, confident, that you can do it, but nothing is changing...why?  Because the other 98% of the time (when you are not racing or hurting), you may not be telling yourself and training your brain to really know that you are strong, confident, that you can do it...ALL THE TIME!  Also, stop telling yourself that something is Hard!  Duh...life is hard!  Start calling things that we would say are hard with other words that can change our brain...call it a CHALLENGE!  Have the mentality of "So What, Now What?"  Things are going to keep changing...so what!  And then have the attitude of Now What...find and work on a solution to improve the situation, not bring it down (that includes you and others!).

2. Process Oriented:  What are you doing right here and now, in the Present, that is getting you one step closer to your goal?  Focus on what is right in front of you!  Let the big picture guide your desires and motivation, but take care of today, and let the PROCESS of taking care of today, automatically lead you to tomorrow, and the next day, and so on.  If you do all you can today, then when the "day" comes, you will know that you are ready to give it...if you slack off here and there, or only push it now and then, then you will most likely be or feel unsure of "tomorrow."

3. MY WHY:   Do you know why you are doing this?  Is it a good reason?  We can tell you that simply being a part of this Team, this Program, is a good enough reason to keep going, to keep trying, but when you know "WHY" you are doing this, or want to do this, even if it still isn't perfectly clear why you are RUNNING, you can know that every day is worth sacrificing a little for, it's worth maybe NOT doing something for the sake of protecting yourself and/or your teammates, family, etc to keep being a part of this Team.  Your "WHY" is the very reason you get out of bed and keep going (even if your "knee" is not working like you want it to but the LOVE you have for others, the sport, REMIND you that it's worth it!).  

4. Visualization:  Being able to look ahead, be prepared as best as you can, SEEING in your mind the GREAT things you are capable of doing, is more than half the battle!  If we can SEE ourselves really doing something, when we actually go to do it...it's not as scary, or it doesn't hold us back as much, or it gives us confidence to take the CHALLENGE of the moment and look forward to it instead of feeling uncertain if you can!  Oh...YOU CAN!  Visualizing the possible outcomes, is a way of "Bracing yourself" for the unknown...to prepare for all different circumstances before they could even happen.  Of course, you can over do this and think about every single outcome and drive yourself nuts about "what if this happens" or "what about this".  But visualizing what you WANT to Become and HOW you will do it...ALONG WITH THE WORK, are HOW you SUM up all the parts to give yourself the CHANCE to succeed! Visualizing is how to minimize stress because you are prepared and it strengthens the MIND to be able to react positively to your situations. 

5.  GRIT:  Do we have the courage to keep moving forward...to recognize the "Toughness" within ourselves...to FEEL HOW BAD YOU WANT IT and use that to overcome obstacles?  Grit is simply a Toughness and a Passion for what you are doing!  In the MOMENT, are we more timid towards a Challenge, or do we accept the Challenge?  Do we find ourselves willing to possibly "hurt" a little to know that as soon as we are done with the "moment" (like in a race), that the hurt will be gone...do we have the courage to work through those moments?  That is GRIT!  And we all can get it...just take a chance on you and each other, and when we cross that "Finish line", you will know!

6. and number six...we haven't shared with you yet.  Are you COMMITTED or Interested?  Do you give your heart to what you are invested in or just give it here and there...go through the motions?  Have you decided to take OWNERSHIP in this journey!  Champions choose to be "OWNERS" in the PROCESS!  Remember that you control the choices that you make!  OWNERSHIP is someone who says "I DECIDE..." to do this or to be a part of that, to hold themselves and each other accountable for what they want to really go after!  Don't pretend to want to be a CHAMPION...either you DECIDE to be like, act like, train like, talk like, eat like, hydrate like, THINK like, a CHAMPION or you won't.  And YOU ARE ONE!

A REMINDER...that you are Loved!

A REMINDER...that YOU are all Worth it!

A REMINDER...that the "SUMmit" awaits!