Now that the football playoffs are here, it reminds me that professional team sports like football, if one but looks, teach many of the important lessons in life:
- Perseverance and persistence matter as much as talent, or perhaps more.
- Be nice to your opponents. You may be playing on their team next year.
- You have to show up to win.
- Practice, practice, practice!
- If a play repeatedly doesn’t work, stop trying it and try something else.
- Attitude matters as much as talent.
- When there is a free ball in the air or a fumble on the ground, everyone is an eligible receiver, whatever their position.
- The game is never decided until the final whistle. Or in the popular version, it ain’t over ‘till the fat lady sings.
- Every week is a new game.
- Keep your temper. Losing it is a good way to get your side penalized.
- It doesn’t matter how good you were last week. All that matters is how good you are today.
- Sometimes you have to take chances to get chances.
- It’s glamorous to be the quarterback, but then it’s the quarterback that is always the target of two or three very big, very fast , very determined defensive players. Sometimes it’s nice just to be an unimportant lineman.
- Never get too comfortable with your success. There is always a rookie or two in the wings just waiting for a chance to replace you.
- In general, simple and basic beats fancy and tricky.
- Always play the odds.
- Resist the temptation to take cheap shots. Your opponents will make you pay for it sometime in the next few plays.
- There comes a time for everyone to get out of the game and let younger players take over.
- Individuals never win. It takes the whole team to win.
- The trick to winning is to force the other team to play your game, rather than you trying to play theirs.
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