I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving weekend! This past Thursday while we ate turkey, I also celebrated my 30th birthday. I know, I know. It’s hard to believe the young liberal next-door has turned the big 3-0.
As you know, I’m a firm believer that kids need to play sports growing up. Wins, losses, blood, sweat, tears. All that good stuff prepares you for this crazy world. With that being said, I don’t know how much wisdom I have to impart, but I want to share some life lessons I have learned from sports as a former athlete, fan, and writer. So in no particular order, here we go:
1. Be quick, but don’t hurry. – John Wooden
2. Exercise regularly (unless injured or sick)
3. Getting sweaty and out of breath is the best way to clear your mind
4. Take days off to rest and recover
5. Sports gambling is an excellent way to burn cash
6. Don’t get too high on the highs and too low on the lows
7. Don’t take yourself too seriously
8. Leaders make their teammates look better
9. Giving is better than receiving
10. Never heckle or hate on athletes and coaches from the stands
11. Don’t get on social media when you are upset
12. Attend at least one sporting event each year
13. Stay up late and watch that west coast game
14. Stay open minded to new ideas and concepts
15. Identify mentors and learn from them
16. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate.
17. If you’re nervous, positively visualize success
18. Always practice the fundamentals
19. Stretch regularly and always warm-up and cool-down
20. Never let one thing or person define who you are as a human
21. Use doubters and naysayers as fuel to motivate you
22. You are you hang out with. So be mindful of the friends you keep
23. Put out positive energy and the universe has a way of repaying you
24. Challenge yourself to overcome physical and mental obstacles
25. Invest in a good pair of shoes, and take care of your feet
26. Give thanks for every day you are on this planet
27. Meditate every day. Even if it is just for a minute
28. Posture and body language are everything
29. Punctuality is key. Always arrive early
30. Positive thinking is the only way to go through life
The older I get the more I realize I have more to learn. Like how exactly the infield-fly rule works, why can’t I develop calf muscles, and was Michael Jordan secretly suspended for gambling by NBA Commissioner David Stern in 1993?
I hope some of these ideas are helpful to someone reading. Let me know what you would add to the list. Thanks to God, my family and friends for the past 30 years.
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Pat Benson has been a sideline reporter, P.A. announcer, and radio personality. Tweet him @Pat_Benson_Jr