MAP for Success

My eldest son taught me an invaluable lesson some years ago.  While in middle school Grant carried some "baby fat" as many boys do before the fully hit puberty.  I believe it was during his 8th grade year that he began to grow tall.  That summer Grant had to have a tonsillectomy.  Definitely not the way to spend ones summer when you are 14 years of age, but there was a side benefit - Grant shed all his baby fat and with the help of Tim & Tina Lones at F.A.S.T the transformation of his body in a few short months was astonishing.

Grant was blessed with average physical abilities. Not exceptional fast or quick his best attributes are strength and intelligence. That combination provided him with great endurance while on the pitch and provided me with the invaluable lesson I spoke of before.

You see, once in shape, Grant never stopped moving on the pitch. His movement was not that frenzied all out activity we sometimes see in players. No, Grant was simply in constant motion while on the pitch. Walking, jogging, loping, sprinting, backpedalling, shuffling... just constant movement.  Maybe most importantly, his eyes and mind were in constant motion as well which made Grant an intelligent player and directly impacted the quality of his physical movement on the pitch.

The lesson?

MAP for Success.

Motion
And
Participation

For

Success

Grant was a game watcher at an age when most of his peers were still ball watchers.  He had a coach at the U13 age level who made an indelible impression on him.  That coach underestimated Grant.  All he saw was a big kid who couldn't run well.  Then, in a game where Grant had been inserted as a left back, Grant made a run from his own half to the back post to an attempted shot off a cross.  The midfielders and forwards were nowhere to be found, but there was Grant at the back post.  That coach chastised the rest of the team scolding them that if Grant could get to that ball, then the mids and forwards should have been there too.  It was an overt reference to Grant's physical conditioning at the time.   I had watched the described action unfold and knew that Grant had not outran anyone to the back post. He had not been a blur of physical speed on the pitch, but his eyes and mind had allowed him to anticipate the play while his steady pace put him in position to make a play.

Grant's junior varsity teammates hated him.  Well, not really, but they did not like the "warm-up" runs Grant would lead them on as a Captain.  Several players and parents commenting on these runs stated something to the effect "Grant can run forever" and there was more than one suggestion that he should perhaps consider cross country as his sport of choice.

Grant made up for average physical quickness and speed with endurance.  Constant motion won out over short bursts time and time again and more so as the game progressed. Imagine if you will, a wing or a center mid never being substituted for in high school soccer.  That was Grant.

Grant knew at what pace he needed to move and when he needed to be somewhere on the pitch. He used his eyes and his mind in conjunction with his feet and lungs to rarely be out of position. It gave him a distinctive edge over those who simply saw the ball and moved accordingly.  Watch a youth... or even a high school soccer match... and take note of the players who are giving huge physical effort.  Note that when away from the ball they typically stand and watch.  When the ball comes near, when they believe they may have a chance to touch it, only then do they become active often times exerting tremendous physical energy. Then ask yourself, what if they had been in motion before that opportunity for a touch had begun to materialize? 

I like to frame that question in this manner;  What if that player were a game watcher instead of a ball watcher?

So it becomes a matter of timing the motion in pursuit of success.  Motion, or effort, alone are not enough to bring you consistent success.  One must participate fully in order to accentuate and take full advantage of ones movement. How one does so determines the consistency and measure of one's success... on the pitch and in life.

Some players are ball watchers and as such only fully participate in the game when the ball is near them.  They are content to watch their teammates and opponents play the game when the ball is away from them.  They enjoy success sometimes - they make a good defensive stop or score a goal but don't do so as often as their "talent" suggests they should.  We hear those players, their parents and casual bystanders make comments like, "when given a chance that kid is really good".  

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.

When not taking advantage of the full measure of one's resources scoring a goal or making a great defensive play is a lot like that blind squirrel finding a nut. All the physical gifts in the world sans intelligent effort will bring nothing more than inconsistent and limited success. Whereas intelligent usage of all available resources will lead to sustained excellence and reward... in soccer and in life.

The question becomes, do you wish to participate only when you personally have something to gain or will you participate in the full measure of the game?  Do you wish for a partial experience or will you immerse yourself in the entirety of the experience.  Do you want full reward or are you seeking only the limelight?

Motion - constant and consistent.  Predicated on what the eyes see and the mind interprets.

And

Participation - motion gets you to what you see. The more you see, the more you get to.  The more you get to, the more opportunities for success you will find for yourself and create for others.

Success - is found in direct proportion to the intelligent effort you give. One must constantly maximize all of one's resources to their fullest measure as consistently as they can.  This is the difference between spectating (ball watching) and participating (game watching and analyzing play).

For you kids out there today... imagine playing a video game with a broken button on your controller or being able to view only half the screen.  You may have some success, even spectacular success, but in a limited fashion.  Only by employing all your resources - a fully functioning controller and being able to see the complete picture can you maximize your success, right?