Most kids practicing sports will do things they enjoy, already do well, and/or are allow them to experience immediate success. For example, watch kids when playing on their own and you will often witness long 3-point shots on the basketball court, HR derby at the local sandlot, and long-bomb throws on the football field. All of these things are fun for kids, of course, but when kids spend a disproportionate amount of time goofing at the expense of developing important fundamentals, an argument can be made that the practice may not have been as efficient as it could have been. Becoming great at a sport requires focus, as well as dedication toward doing boring, mundane drills that eventually lead to efficient, precise, muscle-memory movements. This week we will use a recent Paul Skenes advertisement to illustrate the importance of how “boring and mundane” daily practice leads to greatness — important advice from arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball today.
Are you willing to do what others won’t do?
If you only do what others do, you will likely only become as good as the competition. In order to be better, you have to do things that others will not do, like go through rigorous daily drills and procedures to master body movements — and eventually sport skills. Paul Skenes is an all star pitcher known for the dedication he puts into his craft, and he offers his wisdom in a new ad below:
Boring before brilliance is precisely why so few young athletes reach their full athletic potential, as developing foundational sport skills is not nearly as fun as launching home runs or draining 3-point shots! Who wants to throw a heavy ball or do calf raises (boring!!) when you could be goofing around trying to ricochet a basketball off the roof into the basket for a cool Tik Tok video?! Why stand under the basket and practice boring layups (a skill that is vitally important for basketball) when you can make a funny video that may get some “likes” and follows?!
The Skenes commercial is a nice reminder that greatness comes from putting in the work, and there are no shortcuts when mastering your craft. Often student athletes and parents will falsely attribute another kid’s great sport performance to “luck” without having any idea how much specific, dedicated practice she put into her game. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, and for kids who do the boring work they create their own perceived “luck” by being prepared for the moment. In other words, when the lights come on and the game is on the line, these kids are confident and cool as a cucumber because they know they have put in the work and ready for the moment.
So the question is less about learning what needs to be done in order to be great, but instead about whether you are committed to boring and mundane training that will lead to success? Are you wiling to do what others won’t? Are you willing to do less goofing around, and more focused and efficient training? While you might not ever achieve the level of success of Paul Skenes, by being disciplined with training and committed to long-term goals you will undoubtedly reach your full personal potential in sports — and life.
Final thoughts
The new Paul Skenes ad reminds us that greatness comes as a result of discipline, focus, motivation, and resiliency, and that athletes must choose whether they will put in the work (that is sometimes boring), or leave their future success to chance. Great athletes rely on muscle memory and synchronized mind-body movements, and these instincts develop over time by means of specific, dedicated practice. Rather than watch kids practice inefficiently, help them understand that while training the basics may be boring at times, the payoff in the future during pressure situations will be invaluable.
drstankovich.com
