The Moment

The Moment

The warm up is done.  Your coach has given you the pre-game speech.  You take off your sweats and you walk out onto the field.  The butterflies in your stomach seem more like eagles right now.  You are nervous and excited all at the same time.  You’ve been waiting for this for a long time.  You been working hard to get ready, to prepare.  This is it - this is your moment.

Are you ready?  Will you be up to the challenge?  Will you make the play? All of these thoughts race through your head as the ref places the ball between the two sticks and gets ready to blow the whistle.  Drops of sweat drip off your brow - some of it is from your warm up and some of it is from your excitement.  The ref backs out of the circle and blows the whistle - it’s happening, it’s really here - this is your moment.

Will you make the next play?  Will you make an impact?  Will you rise up?

Life is made up of moments.  The older you get the more you realize how important it is to be ready for YOUR moment - YOUR chance - YOUR opportunity.  As athletes I think it is so important to focus on the entire journey and not just the result.  Take pride in your preparation.  But most importantly be prepared - be ready.

What will be your moment?  Far too many people focus just on Championships.  Championships are awesome - don’t get me wrong, but let’s put them into perspective.  In 2015 in the state of New York - 365 girl’s varsity team will take the field this spring.  Only 4 of them will be called State Champions at the end of the year in Class A, B, C and Private.  Less than 1% of the teams playing will end the year as “Champions. ”  Don’t just let championships and end results be your measuring stick.  What about the other 361 teams?  Are they failures?  Of course not.  Let your measuring stick be your moments.  

There will be plenty of moments for you on your journey through life.  There will be plenty of moments for you on the field.  All I ask of you is this - be ready.  

The ref blows the whistle and the game has begun.  Nervous pent up energy explodes into physical energy.  The ball flies high into the air and has landed 5 yards from you.  Your opponent is only 4 yards away.  This is your moment.  You explode, you attack.  Instincts take over and you do nothing but focus on the ball in front of you.  You are ready.  You have scooped thousands of balls from the time you picked up your first stick.  

Do you remember picking up that first stick? Maybe you placed the ball into the stick with your hand.  Your pocket was so tight that the ball rattled around in the plastic.  It felt foreign to you.  It was strange.  Maybe you were uncomfortable.  But you learned how to cradle, how to scoop, catch and throw.  You put in the time, the effort, the practices, the blood, the sweat and sometimes the tears.  You worked hard because you love this game of lacrosse.  You worked hard to be ready.

You close in on the ground ball as you have caught up to your opponent.  You have gained ground because she was not going full speed.  She did not expect you to be there - you were ready and she was not.  You don’t slow down for even a split second and you explode through the ball.  Your hands are gripping the plastic of the head of your stick like you were always taught.  Your hands are even with the ground.  Your legs are bent and your eyes are focused.  

This is your moment!  There is no time to think, not time to question your self, your body and mind have taken over.  Practice has turned into habits, habits have turned into skill.  You are ready - you WILL do this.  Time seems to slow down for you as the ball is now scooped into your stick. It’s the first ground ball of the year.  So much went into this one moment and now it is yours.  

In your journey through life, it will be filled with lots of moments.  You need to be ready for them and the only way to be ready is to put in the time and effort required.  No one else can do this for you.  No coach, no parents, no teammates - Just you.  

How you react and perform in these moments is also just about YOU.  

Take pride in your work ethic.  Take pride in your practice.  Take pride in the time that you spend honing your skills.  All of this will prepare you for the moment.  

Whether that moment is picking up a ground ball, scoring the winning goal, making a great pass or being the girl who makes sure that her teammates are pumped up - just be ready.  

The lacrosse season has started.  Cherish the moment.

Coach K

p.s. If you want to listen to a great speech about the Moment - click below to listen to Herb Brooks talking to the Gold Medal winning Team USA hockey team from the move Miracle. Great Moments are Born from Great Opportunity!"