In the world of athletics today, I believe many athletes no longer understand the meaning of commitment. Commitment is not a skill that can be taught by a coach. Commitment is not a “pie in the sky” goal that we can only hope to aspire to. As a matter of fact, commitment is much closer than most of us realize. It lives in our heart.

What most athletes do not realize is that commitment is not about themselves, but about their teammates. As a motivational speaker, I often speak to about commitment and being a team player. I believe the words are interchangeable. I believe that words and actions can inspire, but motivation and commitment comes from within. Some of my most inspirational stories come from my military experiences. Every story has a lesson – a lesson that ties back into being committed to a team.

Every year, our high school soccer team chooses a theme that they intend to live by. This year, we are defending our back-to-back state championships. On a Sunday afternoon, all of the senior soccer players met at my house and came up with this year’s theme. This was no ordinary theme. They were determined to live up to every meaning of this theme – on the field and off the field. The theme is “Brotherhood.”

Although they will not leading their men into combat, as a Captain of this year’s team, they will lead their men into competition. So, although the battlefield may be different, the heart of the warrior and the heart of the champion beat in unison. Whether you call it commitment, being a team player, or brotherhood, when you look into the heart of that player, these are some of the characteristics you will discover:

• The Brotherhood loves his team. The committed player focuses on what is best for the team – not himself.
• A committed player shows up for every practice – injured or not.
• A committed player never quits. Failure is not an option, and the only true way to fail is to quit.
• The committed player may not always be the fastest, strongest, or most skillful player. However, you know you can always trust the committed player to give 100% in practice and in the game.
• The committed player understands that the championship is won long before the championship game.
• A committed player knows when to lead, but also knows when to follow.

The bottom line is that when you are committed to the team, you care more about the name on the front of the jersey than the name on the back. A committed player believes his legacy is the characteristics mentioned above. The championship and accolades are just the bonuses to being a committed team player. Anyone can be a member of a team. Only a committed team player can be a member of the Brotherhood.

“The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.”

Change is a part of our every day life.  We must be willing to change no matter how painful it is.  Our attitude is the key to how successful we are with changing our environment.  Ask yourself this question:  Are you doing what you always dreamed of doing?  If so, good for you.  You make up about 5% of the population.  For the other 95%, why aren’t you living your dream?  Make the change today.  Don’t wait for it to miraculously land in your lap.  Be proactive.  In the words of Ghandi, “Be the change that you want to see.”