The other week I was talking to a family friend who just completed an Ironman Triathlon. It’s very inspiring for me to hear about unthinkable athletic accomplishments — as a former (somewhat) competitive athlete, I know firsthand how much work and preparation goes into allowing your body to perform at peak levels.
In this vein, I recently watched two awesome Nike TV ads. The first is called "Move". Great acoustic soundtrack ("Move" by Jonathan Elias). The second is about football (probably high school football in Texas).
Worth a minute and a half on YouTube if you were or are an athlete…
(hat tip: Kevin Cherrick)
Thanks for the links, Ben – both videos are very inspiring.
I really like how the first one focuses primarily on the quiet moments. The preparation. Alone. No fans, no scouts, not even an opponent, really. Just the player and the game. So often I see players behave differently when being observed than when they are ‘letting go’ on their own, similar to the athletes in this video. At the lower levels (pre-college, as a guideline) I think one’s true talent emerges most when the spotlight is off. I can always tell when a player feels ‘watched’ because they tend to tighten up physically and lose focus mentally (a glance to the stands, approval-seeking eye contact with the coach…). The special players are the ones who are able to consistently achieve their optimum level of performance in an intense practice atmosphere and then bring that demeanor to the game. (Yes, Allen Iverson, we ARE talking about PRACTICE!)
The football one was awesome as well – reminded me of my high-school playing days. Again, the commentary focuses on the ‘renewal’ aspects of a fresh season. Learning from the past and applying it to future efforts, embracing the fact that there’s hard work ahead and having the courage to face it.
If playing sports isn’t the perfect metaphor for life I don’t know what is.
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