True Failure: My Elementary School Basketball Team
What is a true failure? As Teddy Roosevelt once explained, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat”. The only true failure, then, may be fear. Being so afraid of disappointment that one foregoes their ambitions, that is true failure.
So, then, when have I truly “failed”? One experience that comes to mind: my elementary school basketball team.
I didn’t get much playing time, since my coach had a son on the team, and I wasn’t the most talented 5th grade basketball player. I never really got passed the ball, and mostly watched my teammates airball jumpshots they had no chance of making. But, one game, I had my chance. Only six people showed up to our game, and after a couple “injuries” (mostly scraped knees and bruises), I was in the game! Then, it happened. Tired of running to and fro, 10 year old me reasoned that I would just wait at one end of the court for my teammates. After all, I had no role in the offense, what harm could I do? To my utter surprise, the ball came bouncing down from the …show more content…
I now recognize that taking risks is a necessary part of growth and progress. While a temporary disappointment can be bitter, we must falter often to succeed sooner. Only a few months ago, I was testing for my Black Belt. I had worked long and hard to get to this point, and I sat during one of the too few too short breaks during the grueling 3-hour test. I remembered the times I fell short. My techniques weren’t always perfect; I’d messed up a simple task in front of an unforgiving panel of judges. I remember when I wasn’t fast enough during a fight, and went home with a broken nose and black eye. I was kicked down over and over again, but I’ve learned the only true failure is succumbing to fear. We must endeavor to
So, then, when have I truly “failed”? One experience that comes to mind: my elementary school basketball team.
I didn’t get much playing time, since my coach had a son on the team, and I wasn’t the most talented 5th grade basketball player. I never really got passed the ball, and mostly watched my teammates airball jumpshots they had no chance of making. But, one game, I had my chance. Only six people showed up to our game, and after a couple “injuries” (mostly scraped knees and bruises), I was in the game! Then, it happened. Tired of running to and fro, 10 year old me reasoned that I would just wait at one end of the court for my teammates. After all, I had no role in the offense, what harm could I do? To my utter surprise, the ball came bouncing down from the …show more content…
I now recognize that taking risks is a necessary part of growth and progress. While a temporary disappointment can be bitter, we must falter often to succeed sooner. Only a few months ago, I was testing for my Black Belt. I had worked long and hard to get to this point, and I sat during one of the too few too short breaks during the grueling 3-hour test. I remembered the times I fell short. My techniques weren’t always perfect; I’d messed up a simple task in front of an unforgiving panel of judges. I remember when I wasn’t fast enough during a fight, and went home with a broken nose and black eye. I was kicked down over and over again, but I’ve learned the only true failure is succumbing to fear. We must endeavor to