Better…

You are hard wired to remember the negatives. Survival wiring. Remembering the negatives will keep you alive. If you want to keep getting better, hear and remember the positives.

Today, during OSU Lacrosse practice 76, I asked a coach and athlete to remember an exchange they had on the practice field. The coach had given some hard and helpful truth. He used a few words I’ve heard countless coaches exclaim over the years – “You’re better than that.” These four words are loaded with help or harm depending on the context, body language, and tone. Today, I heard a coach challenging one of his players out of belief. As they played back what was said and what was heard in front of fifty teammates, I watched intently to see if the message changed in front of the masses. It. Did. Not.

Want a better team? Challenge your best out of belief. Make them chase the perfect rep, right Justin? “You’re better than that” is a power giving, life giving, challenge when it’s spoken from a believing heart. If you wait too long to challenge your team, leader, those same four words come out edgy and angry. C’mon man, you’re better than that!

Live hard. Love harder…