Guts – Will – Honor

After Further Review … One reason sports are universally popular is that they provide a reliable contest of the attributes that people wish they had — the courage of confrontation.  Call it guts.  The ability to summon extraordinary effort toward a goal.  Call it will.  A passionate respect for rules of the game.  Call it Honor. 
 
Sports is Guts, Will and Honor, in ACTION.
 
As I watched the 2010 Winter Olympics, those words kept resounding in my head.  How do you lay your body on that luge, after knowing and watching the Georgian lugerNodar Kumaritashvili  crash to his death in a practice run prior to the Olympic opening?  Guts is the answer.  The courage to face confrontation.  In this scenario:  confronting the luge run.
 
In snowboarding cross, I watched Seth Wescott edge out Canada's Mike Robertson at the wire after being seeded 19th out of the 32 riders – as they call snowboarders – and closing an "impossible gap" during the race.  Call that will.
 
Let's switch sports to the AT&T National Pro Am golf tournament held at Pebble Beach at the same time the Winter Olympics were happening.  During the final round on the links of Pebble Beach, Paul Goydos had a 1-stroke lead, as he teed-off at #14, par 5 (the #1 handicap). His 4th shot went over the green.  The ball rolled down a slope 19 yards from the pin.  I'll spare you the agony of Goydos' 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th shots; he finally putted for a 9 – 4 over par.  The honor of a professional golfer came into play as Goydos maintained his poise.  When asked about what happened on that hole, Goydos said, "What hole you talking about?"  "Honor" is respecting not only the rules, but the spirit of golf, which is why he was given the "Ambassador of Golf Award" earlier that week. 
 
You don't necessarily have to be a participant in sports to practice and benefit from its  guts, will and honor.  Watching inspires a sense of participation.  Understanding the goals and rules well enough to appreciate the stakes helps develop a sense of empathy.
 
We watch and respond, get excited, feel satisfied and get pumped with small doses of self-generated inspiration every time we witness a feat that gains our respect.  We see lessons in confronting our foes and our fears, summoning our strength and remembering our honor.  When we watch sports, instinct, intuition and self-knowledge are exercised.
 
Will you keep the attraction of sports using guts, will and honor as a mantra in your everyday living?
 
   
 
To learn more about Jim Tunney, or if your organization would like to secure Jim as a speaker, please visit www.tunneysideofsports.com and click on Jim Tunney www.twitter.com/jimtunney