Do you motivate you, or do you need someone else to do it? What are you doing when the Stadium is empty, when the weight room is dark and you are the only one there? What are you doing when everyone else is sleeping, playing video games, hanging out with their friends eating junk food and gossiping?

Are you right there with them? or are you taking advantage of the opportunity to get better, and then meeting up with them later? This is what separates the good from the great. Are you following the crowd because you are afraid to miss something? Are you lowering your performance because others are telling you that you are making them look bad? If someone makes fun of you for working too hard, work harder, for running too fast, pass them again, the point is to simply ignore them and continue doing what you are doing.

Never let someone else dictate how great you are going to be. Never let someone else dictate how great you are going to be.

You do not need hate, love, admiration, someone to push you if you have drive, work ethic, and the determination to be great. If you need those things, you will never sustain your greatness, because one day they will all be gone. Never let someone else dictate how great you are going to be.

Your ability does not separate you, your talent does not separate you, but all the things other people are not willing to do is what separates you from them. You have to take it to the next lever, push harder then you thought you could, when you think you are done do one more, and then one more, push, push, push, because these last sprints, reps, swings, ground balls, bull pens, jump shots, deep routes, corner kicks, and perfectly placed drag bunts are what is going to separate you. Your desire to be the best you, you can be, your drive to do more than even you thought you could is what is going to take you to the next level. Never let anyone else dictate how great you are going to be.

Ignore the hate, don’t use it as fuel, you are the fuel, you are the one, you don’t need love to drive you to be great, and forget about admiration too, these are all things that come because you worked harder and pushed more than anyone else, all of these things are results of what you accomplished, they should not be the reason you are trying to accomplish. If they are, you have already failed.

Be great because you want to be great, Never let someone else dictate how great you are going to be.

I moved to Lexington, Kentucky in fourth grade and I played my first season of Soccer that same year.  I played for a coach named Gary, and Gary looked more like a defensive line coach than a soccer coach.  That first year, I am not sure how much technique I learned but I played hard and had fun because coach was passionate about coaching.  He loved teaching and he motivated us with his energy and never once did anyone question his knowledge because kids were playing hard and having fun. 

Our first year we were only ok, but year two we won a state championship for our age division.  We did not have the most talented team, as a matter of fact there was a team that beat us by 10 the year before with the same players and the next year we beat them 2-1.  Why? because coach motivated us properly for the game.  There was no special secret, everyone knew they had better players but we had become a better team.  We relied on and believed in each other and we played with more energy and passion then they did.  We built from that game, there was no let down the next game because Coach taught us that every game was that important, and we needed to play every game with that same energy and passion.  We did and we became a great team with average players.  

The ability to motivate a group of players is more important than teaching them every little intricate detail of the game.  Do not get me wrong, I believe fundamentals win championships but so does fun.  When kids are having fun, they learn more, and when they learn more, they will play better.  Motivate your players with your passion for the game and you will have a team that gels and loves playing for you.  Your passion will become contagious, so bring it to the park everyday.