Can Recreational Sports Build Character? Its Possible, not Automatic

As recreational athletes (powerlifting or other sports) we enjoy participating in these activities for fun.

We have chosen to pursue a given sport for a variety of personal reasons.

The actions we take to play a given sport can have a big impact on other parts of our life. These can be good or bad.

Good effects come from practicing the sport in a manner that helps us become the person we aspire to be.

Bad effects can come from ignoring the reality that improving performance is very difficult and skip the hard work. People can develop an outward veneer of success, as well as cheat, lie about their scores or work the system for unearned benefits.

 

Becoming the Best You Can Be

Making improvement in any sport is very difficult. It requires a lot more than just showing up.

In powerlifting every one of us is competing against gravity. The universe does not care who you are, how many cars you own or what injustices you may have suffered.

The weight is the same for all individuals.

You have a choice to do the hard work needed for improvement using practices that can have a positive impact on other parts of your life.

In this case, you must embrace reality and do the practices that will produce the best possible resultsfor you.

Or you can choose to muddle through and just wing it or fart around when you go to the gym.

Embracing reality means that you may not be able to get very far by simply relying on showing up and thrashing around.

 

The Hard Road

Improving in any activity that has any value involves the discipline to impose tight rules on how you practice.

Here is where developing your character through sports training can come in.

First, you need a realistic plan that identifies all the small details you must address to improve.

This excessive attention to detail is the hallmark of every elite athlete at every level of competition.

In his time Michael Jordan was known for working the hardest of anyone in the NBA on the small details of his game. That distinction passed to LeBron James when Michael retired. Tom Brady is another with obsessive attention to every aspect of his performance.

Here is where the road of life splits.

Many people are obsessive about details in their life or sport. ONLY A FEW actually do the work needed.

Here is where life splits between those who talk a great game or know what to doand those who take necessary action.

Those who take action will consistently become better at what they doin sports or in life.

It is MUCH easier to b-s yourself and take the easy way out.

Too many of us believe we have tried our best when in reality we just quit when things became difficult or complicated.

If you can say I triedyou can try again if your strategy didnt work.

Here is where your sport can positively influence other parts of your life.

Keep learning and never just buy into some idea because it sounds good.

Embrace reality, use real honest feedback and keep working on ALL the small details you must master.

This is a great prescription for both sports and life.

Unfortunately, a lot of people never make the effort to learn it.

 

Coda

The West Point Cadet Prayer captures the core of what you can learn from your sport.

Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won

Lift Big!

Richard