PLAY BIG

BELIEVE IN GREATNESS

Very often, I will meet an athlete who plays a team sport and because he believes 

that he is not the star of the team he feels as if he has nothing to offer to the team. 

And what happens is that he begins to hold back and "play small". 

It may start with not giving his best in practice, stop asking questions, 

show up late, and sometimes think about quitting.

  This athlete doesn't realize that it takes every member of that team contributing 

to the team for that team to become successful. It's important that the athlete step back 

and think about all the different roles  an athlete can play in helping the team be successful. Not only is it about what happens during a game on the field or court but just as important what happens outside of the game. It could be through mentoring, 
teaching, motivating, coaching, encouraging or inspiring that one athlete
 can have a major impact upon the team's development.

To "play big" is for the athlete to look for every opportunity to serve and support his team...whether it's in a game, practice or one-on-one with another teammate. To believe in greatness is to believe in the potential and power of any moment...and in that moment he may be given a unique opportunity to help his team succeed. The athlete needs to remember that his team's success depends upon his desire and determination to step up,

 seize the moment and serve the greater good.

"For basketball demanded that though the players be talented, 

they also subordinate their individual talents to the idea of team 
and to each other. A truly great basketball player was not necessarily someone 
who scored a lot of points; a truly great basketball player was 
someone of exceptional talent and self-discipline 

who could make his teammates better."

David Halberstam

The Breaks Of The Game