Accepting Mediocrity

me·di·oc·ri·ty  (mē'dē-ŏk'rĭ-tē)  
n.   pl. me·di·oc·ri·ties
1. The state or quality of being mediocre.
2. Mediocre ability, achievement, or performance.
3. One that displays mediocre qualities.


Did you spend the weekend coaching, playing in or watching a tournament?

Most players, coaches and parents did. Hey, I even spent Saturday court-side at Madison Square Garden taking in the Jordan Brand Classic. As I looked across the court a few rows back I saw Michael Jordan and realized he never accepted mediocrity from himself or the others around him.

Many players and coaches today get mediocre results from the minimum amount of hard work and effort they put into things. They do just enough, or only what is expected of them.

Many live by the words 'I’m good'. It's a lazy and hopeless way to think, but again many of us when asked to do more work or sacrifice in the short term for long-term gain respond....”I’m good!”

Be honest for a moment. Are you really that good? Have you done enough? Would someone call on you in the game or in life to take the game-winning shot?

If you do everything that everyone else does, you will continue to be just like everybody else.

If we got recognized for doing what was expected of us, we would get recognized all the time. Unfortunately we don't get recognized all the time, because life doesn't work like that.

When you want more, you will need to do more.

Never confuse activity with results, just because you played in a tournament this weekend doesn’t automatically make you a better basketball player.

Everyone else played in a tournament this weekend just like you did. How many of you who experienced set-back or defeat have a plan of attack for this week to improve in the areas that you struggled with this past weekend? Do you think those things will automatically fix themselves by the time you play again next weekend?

As a player, coach or parent how many more tournaments, camps and events are you going to go to before your realize success and recognition at these events will not come until you put the hard work in before you arrive!

Look around the gym there are hundreds if not thousands of other players in the gym what makes anybody any different? How much does it cost to enter a tournament, fill up the tank, buy food and even stay over night in some cases?

If you do all that don’t you at least owe it to yourself to work hard enough to be recognized? Play can never come before work when you are talking about success in any aspect of your life.

Stop accepting mediocrity and work harder to accomplish your goals and get the recognition you seek and deserve.