How to Get The Will to Succeed in Sports

Welcome to another edition of the Coach Godwin Show, this is your host Coach Koran Godwin, all time scorer of the University of North Florida, also author of the great new book on 'Everyone Hates A Ball Hog But They All Love A Scorer'. Today we are going to get into some of interesting things. We are going to talk about the intangible. We are going to talk about the things you really can't see and touch, but nevertheless it's one of the more important things in Basketball. We are going to talk about today folks, the will to succeed, and on how you actually get this will to succeed. A lot of people call it that completive edge, some people are born with it, others have to develop it over time. But it is through my personal experience that you can now develop it. Some people are just born, fiery people who are ready to go, and just naturally competitive. And others just learning it. There are still being around people who are competitive, and are wanting to compete. Case in point, Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is one of those guys who is very, very competitive like his elder Larry Jordan to the point where, Larry would beat him everyday and Michael would come back every single day, I want some more, I am growing up in the North Carolina. He just wants to beat his brother. Through these battles in the backyard, and always wanted to beat his brother, and always wanted to be better than his brother, he went to that place, that place where there is no nil, where losing is not an option, and losing ultimately being quiting. So Michael Jordan was able to challenge his brother, and eventually he beat his brother. As you all know it's well documented, and they are going to High School, his 9th grade year and Michael Jordan was cut from the basketball team. So this just added more fuel to that fire that he developed in battling his older brother Larry, I can tell you from personal experience. Now there is a big difference between talent, and having the talent plus that will to succeed. If you look at different players all across the NBA, I mean, you have guys that can jump high, run fast, I mean, do some amazing things on the court. That's why they are there. But very, very few people have that eye of the tiger -- and when I am talking about the eye of the tiger, I am talking about guys like Michael Jordan of course, I am talking about Kobe Bryant, and I am talking about the Magic Johnson. I am talking about those players that that really, really hate to lose. And it's just something what they do, and says, we have to go out there, we could be at a higher level. They don't want anyone to get the upper advantage on them. When I look at the Kobe Bryant in just the way he approaches the game and the mental aspects of the game, he is always ready, he takes control of the game, and now he is says, we can probably we can take control of the game, and I will, I mean, any time. He really, really wants to win. You can see that burning desire inside of him. Coming up as a youngster myself, I can remember just being from New Jersey where I grew up and I had a great jump shot, and I did fairly well. And I was a pretty good athlete. I actually tried out for AUT, a local team, actually national AUT team though, New Jersey Roadrunners though, pretty big at the time. I knew a lot of guys who play for the Roadrunners, play with Jason Williams, and with the Duke. Dante Jones, I mean, there's lot of people who play for the Roadrunners. I remember, I am going at the Tuesday trail, and I'll ended up at a fast break, which was on upstarted any program at that time. We were in gym, and the coach had a conversation with me, he said, look, I know you are used to dominating your firm, but you are going to have to step it up a level. I didn't really know what he meant that time, I mean, being a great jump shooter I mean, the people who get their position shoot the ball. I mean, as in game, it's pretty much easy. But the game changed a whole lot, because in that gym St. Pat's in Elizabeth, New Jersey, guys who know about St. Pat's, and the national powerhouse in New Jersey, was a little band box gym, small gym, very hardened, and I can remember going for a lose ball. During the course of this lose ball I kind of get pushed out the way. The coach took me to the side, he said, look, this is a different game here. He said, I see that you are here, and it's really, really about who wants the ball more. And what he is basically doing is, he is challenging me to find that competitive side, and the side I was going to get me to the next level, and he said, look, that guy is going to the stand, so you got to knock him out the way and get the ball, he said, that is not your concern. So you go, you make sure you get that ball. So from that day on, I mean in practice, it was always a war. What he was doing, is preparing me for life, even beyond basketball, run on for college also, because for those of you who haven't competed on the college level yet, it's tough. On that first practice a lot of the older guys, the senior guys, and junior guys, they understand that in college they don't qualify. Now one of the things that college coaches want to do, is see how tough you are, because it's a tougher game on that level. And those who haven't found that compete side in there have just, and they have gotten the scholarship based on their talent, and they are out there playing the game, and they can -- so same as high school. I mean you run into a war. Because now guys are pushing you around, I remember, getting the ball, and the guy just took the ball from my arms, and just took the ball. It was a foul, but the coach was actually looking at me to see if I was going to complain or see if I was going to compete. Once I saw that's how things were going, that tapped in to what I learn in that St Pat's gym. On that day of practice, it was just war out there. You knew how to protect the ball, you knew how to swing through, and if guys get hit with elbows, this guy hit with elbows, you have to get out the way. So we are talking about that will to succeed, and it is very, very important in the game of basketball, the less talent that you have, the more, or I would say, the more important it is to have that will to succeed. A lot of people will call it heart, because it's just heart, you know, that kid has heart. And a lot of times you find that the little guys have the most heart, like the Nick Robinson, and Spud Webbs, is because they have to. I mean they don't have the physical attributes that a normal player has. They are under size, they are small, but they are very quick and they use it to their advantage. But they have to have that heart and will to succeed, because there are a lot of times people want to post, and push him around, even try to shoot over. And they have to overcome all those roadblocks in their career. So, will to succeed is very important, if that's something that you really need to work on, and you know you are not competitive, or you know you are going to get on certain people, you got scared out there. You got up there yourself into the fire, that's the only way to do it. And I'd say the easiest way to do this, is to find competition in your area, find in the professionals, find in the players that are better than you, find in the guys who are bigger than you. And go in there and compete, and never give up, that's one thing I learned, coming up in New Jersey is like, you never give up. It doesn't matter what's going on around to you. The only time you lose is when you quit. So as long as you compete to the highest level, and you reach your potential, you have everything to be proud of, because everyone here, on this earth, just takes the cards that God gives you. You go ahead and go out there and give your best shot. So that's what we are talking about today. We are talking about the will to succeed, we are talking about you getting heart. A lot of you out there need it, some of you already have it, and you need to get on the instructional side and channel that energy, that competitive fiery edge. But that's the show today. I am Coach Godwin, please go ahead and log on to www.jumpstarthoops.com. Your ultimate source of basketball training. We have plenty of videos for you, also a great new book that talks about the road to succeed in different ways that you can overcome just that roadblock, of you getting to the next level, and of you excelling, and doing well for your prospective change, whether that be in high school, college, or maybe in profession. So log on, I'll see you next time, stay tuned.