GUTS IN ACTION by Jay Lillie
Robert Smith and Associates
September 12, 2007
www.jaylillie.com
On Center Court Wimbledon, or in the Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows, down two sets and one point from losing the third - he rockets his opponent’s best serve down the line - and saves the point.
Nothing to loose – so go for it – right? Sure, but if he or she goes on to win the set and the match - what you’ve also witnessed is the courage needed to overcome almost certain defeat. It's the "almost" that courage deals with.
How easy it is to give in when all looks hopeless, and how much guts does it take to hang in there – and win. I’ve seen this display of inner strength so many times on the tennis court having spent a third of my career involved in professional tennis. But this year at the U S Open at Flushing Meadows there seems to be more grit on the court than usual. How about those wheel chair matches . . . as a for instance?
I remember Jack Kramer telling an assembled group of whining player reps in the early days of Open Tennis that NBA players play hurt every night, so why should tennis players be given any special treatment. He was right of course, as he often was, but I don’t think
the best pro tennis players would take a pass even if it was offered. The other side of the never give up coin is take no prisoners – so they all know no one is going to feel sorry for them if they play badly and lose.
We’ve seen an equal display of courage in the comeback of professional golfer, Steve Stricker, from an injured number 334 in the world less than two years ago, to winner of three events on the Tour this year and challenging Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for
this year’s Fed Ex Cup title. Even the great Ben Hogan had to come back from an almost fatal car crash - which left him unable to walk - to win the US Open. Not giving up, even when things look hopeless takes guts. And it’s great to see it in action out there on the court and the links.
There’s more of course to this story. These talented athletes are able to do the things they do by spending long hours practicing and preparing mentally and physically. When they meet a worthy opponent on the tennis court or the golf course they know the other is also going to be equally well prepared. The day of that wonderful, talented, tennis player, Ilie Nastase, being able to show up and play the best of his time to a standoff is over. It didn’t work especially well then and it doesn’t work at all now.
I’ve often wondered how much “hunger” plays a part in winning a match when nothing seems to be going right . . . the natural desire to win being taken to a higher level by the “need” to win. You’d think so, but this notion doesn’t explain a Federer or a Woods who already have enough cash in the bank to keep them busy for a life time figuring out what to do with it.
I think it’s pride and an indomitable spirit which the great ones seem to have. I wonder if Jack Kramer would agree with that? He would know.
www.jaylillie.com
On Center Court Wimbledon, or in the Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows, down two sets and one point from losing the third - he rockets his opponent’s best serve down the line - and saves the point.
Nothing to loose – so go for it – right? Sure, but if he or she goes on to win the set and the match - what you’ve also witnessed is the courage needed to overcome almost certain defeat. It's the "almost" that courage deals with.
How easy it is to give in when all looks hopeless, and how much guts does it take to hang in there – and win. I’ve seen this display of inner strength so many times on the tennis court having spent a third of my career involved in professional tennis. But this year at the U S Open at Flushing Meadows there seems to be more grit on the court than usual. How about those wheel chair matches . . . as a for instance?
I remember Jack Kramer telling an assembled group of whining player reps in the early days of Open Tennis that NBA players play hurt every night, so why should tennis players be given any special treatment. He was right of course, as he often was, but I don’t think
the best pro tennis players would take a pass even if it was offered. The other side of the never give up coin is take no prisoners – so they all know no one is going to feel sorry for them if they play badly and lose.
We’ve seen an equal display of courage in the comeback of professional golfer, Steve Stricker, from an injured number 334 in the world less than two years ago, to winner of three events on the Tour this year and challenging Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for
this year’s Fed Ex Cup title. Even the great Ben Hogan had to come back from an almost fatal car crash - which left him unable to walk - to win the US Open. Not giving up, even when things look hopeless takes guts. And it’s great to see it in action out there on the court and the links.
There’s more of course to this story. These talented athletes are able to do the things they do by spending long hours practicing and preparing mentally and physically. When they meet a worthy opponent on the tennis court or the golf course they know the other is also going to be equally well prepared. The day of that wonderful, talented, tennis player, Ilie Nastase, being able to show up and play the best of his time to a standoff is over. It didn’t work especially well then and it doesn’t work at all now.
I’ve often wondered how much “hunger” plays a part in winning a match when nothing seems to be going right . . . the natural desire to win being taken to a higher level by the “need” to win. You’d think so, but this notion doesn’t explain a Federer or a Woods who already have enough cash in the bank to keep them busy for a life time figuring out what to do with it.
I think it’s pride and an indomitable spirit which the great ones seem to have. I wonder if Jack Kramer would agree with that? He would know.
www.jaylillie.com
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