Character Development Lesson Ten

Personal Self-Evaluation 

Today we will examine seven attitudes that help make up a winner.   Listen to the descriptions carefully, because you will be asked to rate yourself on each of these attitudes. Let’s start with drive.

Drive or Determination or Desire

Jack Youngblood, an NFL linebacker, said, “You learn that, whatever you are doing in life, obstacles don’t matter very much.  Pain or circumstances can be there, but if you want to do a job bad enough, you will find a way to get it done.”

This attitude trait can be defined as the enjoyment effacing a challenge and the need to win. The athlete who possesses this trait to a high degree looks forward to stiff competition, sets very high goals for himself and aspires to be the best.   He is quite willing to endure unpleasant things if he thinks it will help him succeed.

An example of a high degree of determination, drive or desire can be found in the all-consuming interest in athletics expressed by an individual.  More than anything else, this athlete desires success and spends much of his time working toward his goals.   He will challenge the toughest opponent.   He gets a great deal of enjoyment out of competition.   He is noticeably bothered after losing.

An athlete who rates low in this trait shows little interest in working toward goals.  They may be a pleasant past time for him; but he can “take it or leave it’; goals just are not that important. This athlete avoids the tough opponent and does not take practice seriously.

Right now on your worksheet rate yourself on your drive.

Aggressiveness – Attack the Objective

Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson said, “If you want to see a great fighter at his best, watch him when he is getting licked.”

Aggression may be defined as the enjoyment of taking charge physically.  An aggressive athlete is very concerned about not getting pushed around.  He loves physical contact and is very anxious to get back at people who beat him. This kind of athlete makes things happen by carrying the battle to the opponent; he sets the tempo; he does not sit back and wait for , things to happen.  

A high degree of aggression is apparent in the athlete on the team who seeks out the roughest opponent and concentrates on beating him.  He is usually in the middle of rough play and shows no fear of being hurt.

A person who is low in aggression is intimidated or frightened by a tough opponent.   He shows no desire to challenge him, and he often gives up easily.   He shies away from rough play.

Rate yourself on this trait now.

Dedication

Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage and dedication to pursue them.”

The person with dedication does not give up easily.   He is willing to practice long and hard to achieve his goals.   He is probably the first to practice and the last to leave.   He spends extra time working on his skills by himself, sometimes to the point of exhaustion.   No matter how many things go wrong, this person sticks to his goals regardless of the cost in terms of time and effort.

You will recognize a dedicated athlete as consistently the hardest worker in practice.  He never “eases up” but continues to work very hard, regardless of the length of the practice. He is one of the last to quit and volunteers for extra work.

At the other extreme, the player low in dedication rarely spends extra time working on his skills.  He is content to slide by on what he has without ever extending himself or putting in extra time.  He gives up easily and uses excuses to get out of practice.

On your worksheet, rate yourself on dedication.

Leadership

The athlete who possesses this characteristic likes to persuade his teammates to go the extra mile.  He enjoys the opportunity to lead his teammates and is usually good at motivating the team.   He likes to make decisions, is quite outspoken, and is often placed in charge of things. There is an obvious willingness to put his ability on the line in facing others and he shows concern about the performances of his teammates.  He is quite interested in interacting with his teammates to improve the overall goal.

A high degree of leadership is apparent in the player who is able to motivate others when preparing for a big game.  Others look to him because he seems to be able to provide them ‘ with the boost they need.  He takes time to help other players.  He is willing to take responsibility for teaching, communicating, and motivating teammates.

The person low in this trait may be described as a loner. He does not seem to be interested in relating to others and he rarely provides encouragement for others. He seems to be only interested in himself and rarely takes time to help others.

Rate yourself in this area. 

Self-Confidence

Excuse Dizzy Dean’s grammar and listen to his words.  “If you can do it, it ain’t braggin’…it’s a matter of con-fee-dence.  I got where I did because I wasn’t no shrinkin’ violet.”

The athlete with self-confidence is very sure of himself and his ability.  He is not prone to worry about his play, to show indecisiveness, or to be upset by unexpected situations.   He not only accepts criticism well from the coach, but also is very likely to speak up for what he believes, both to the coach and to other players.

This is the player who eagerly anticipates the opportunity to display his ability.  There is no doubt in this player’s mind when preparing for a superior opponent – he knows he can defeat his adversary and he shows no regard for his reputation.  He handles unexpected situations well.   He voices a positive belief about his ability and makes decisions quickly and easily.

A player low in self-confidence always seems worried about the chances for disaster.   He is more concerned with the possibility and effect of a loss than with the advantage of a win.   He gives up early against superior odds and he has difficulty making decisions.

On your worksheet rate yourself in the area of self-confidence.

Emotional control.

This person can control his emotions and is mature and stable.   He is not likely to be adversely affected by his feelings.  Quite often these feelings do not even show.  He is not easily depressed or frustrated by bad breaks, bad calls by the official, or by his own mistakes. A great deal of self-discipline is evident in this person’s behavior.  He rarely loses his temper and almost never feels picked on by other people.

Bart Starr, the NFL Hall of Famer, certainly displayed emotional control.   He said “…a person can’t brood over one mistake, or waste time feeling sorry for himself, or take on any sort of persecution complex…Today I realize that once you have made a mistake, you must accept it, profit by it, and then totally dismiss it from your mind.” 

This is the player who, in times of great stress, is able to remain completely “cool” and seemingly unconcerned by the other team’s success.   He is not rattled by bad breaks or bad calls by the official.   He thinks clearly in critical situations.

A player low in emotional control is someone who, when once beaten by his opponent, is through for the rest of the day.  He simply can’t recover and the other team focuses on him and destroys him.   He is often moody.   He gets very upset over a poor performance by himself.

Rate yourself in the area now.

Mental Toughness.

The athlete who is mentally tough is somewhat sensitive to the feelings and problems of others.  He rarely gets upset when losing, playing badly, or being spoken to harshly.  He is able to accept strong criticism without being hurt, and he does not require too much encouragement from the coach to be effective.  This person does not depend on the team for a sense of belonging.

When a mentally tough player receives harsh handling, for example is yelled at by the coach or becomes the object of severe criticism, he seems to become even better or tougher.  It seems sometimes to be the motivation he needs to make him perform at his best.  He bounces back after being beaten and looks forward to a return match with the opponent.

When a player is not mentally tough and receives harsh handling, he is quite likely to crawl into a shell and feel sorry for himself.  He is ready to admit he is “no good” and give up.  He performs poorly after criticism.  He does not recover well from a loss.

Rate yourself in this last category.