“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.“- Colin Powell

“The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.” – Tony Robbins

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Search Google for quotes on preparation and you’ll find more than you’d ever need. There are plenty to go around. You’ve probably heard many of them yourself, especially the ones listed above. Some smart people are talking about the importance of preparation so it must be something we all must do, right?

For example, if an athlete isn’t prepared for the start of the season it looks bad – it’s a direct reflection of their LACK of preparation.

But let’s dig deeper into some scenarios I see far too often. We’ll use high school football as an example since we’re in the heart of football season, but this of course applies to any sport/athlete/age.

Scenario 1

Athlete 1 wants to play college football. His senior season ended two months ago and he played alright. Leading into the season he did some workouts for a couple months but wasn’t that consistent. In fact he’s never really worked out with any sort of consistency in his life. He didn’t eat the right foods or take care of his body. Everyone always told him he had “potential”.  (“Potential” – someone who hasn’t done jack yet.) He attended a high school combine in the spring and he did okay. He didn’t prepare for the tests, so he could’ve done better. Now the season has ended and he comes to me expecting to sculpt him into this college football phenom. Nevermind all the stuff he failed to do his previous 3 years of high school or even last off-season. I’m going to ask why he waited two months after the season to contact me if this was a serious goal of his. Why does he have a habit of delaying his preparation? Are these types of people successful?

Scenario 2

Athlete 2 loved to play sports. He participated in every sport he could growing up and continued to do so in high school. He wasn’t the biggest but he wasn’t the smallest. His parents supported all his activities and wanted to make sure he was prepared – he also was required to get good grades in school. When he wasn’t training with his team he got extra training from a private coach. He wanted to work on the things he didn’t hit at the high school. Athlete 2 craves the extra work. He knows he needs it to survive – to be ready for anything. He even helps his parents pay for the extra training. Whether he’s in a sport season or not, he always MAKES time to train. As years go on he realizes he loves football. During his varsity years he attends plenty of camps and combines. He does well because he has been preparing for the tests for years with his private coach while everyone else was relaxing.  He’s starting to look more like a physical specimen after years of eating and training properly. College coaches are taking notice. He wants to explore his options after the season, as he can’t make a decision. He does very well his senior season earning a couple post-season awards. He decides on a school and receives a partial athletic scholarship.  Since he was used to the discipline, his grades were on point and he received a partial academic scholarship as well. With college financials in order you would think he’d be satisfied. He’s grateful but the week after the season ends he’s back in the gym. He’s sought out bigger and better athletes to train with. This keeps him hungry – maintains his edge. This attitude is what got him here in the first place. He just doesn’t want to ‘play’ college ball. He wants to DOMINATE and play early and often in his career. He dedicates 9 months to training for the next level even though he plays another high school sport. He gets to college and is the strongest freshman on the team. The football and strength coaches love this kid.

Scenario 3

Athlete 3 has a college football scholarship. He’s always been naturally good at sports. Around 11^th grade he lifted some weights but not that consistently and just did enough to get by. He was told that he had to start training for college but his football ability was solid so he didn’t feel the need to do much extra work. His high school training program was okay and he was used to it. He was bigger and stronger than everyone on his team and he liked that feeling – he enjoyed being the big fish in a small pond. He continued to train at his high school leading up to his freshman year of college – kind of just doing his own thing. He was training with some friends so it was fun. It was what he was used to and he was comfortable.  When he got to college he was hit with a rude awakening. He wasn’t used to REAL athletes and REAL training. He realized he wasn’t the biggest and strongest anymore. Everyone on his team was just as good or better than he was in high school. His confidence on and off the field was shot. He never saw the field his first year. He didn’t know how to work because he never really had to. He quit halfway through his second year.

Which athlete are you?

Parents, which athlete is yours?

Which athlete exemplifies TRUE preparation?

Who do you think coaches enjoy working with the most?

I see these scenarios every year, as I’m sure many coaches do. The Athlete 2’s of the world are awesome to work with. These are the types of athletes we have at PowerStrength. However, we often come across some Athlete 1’s and 3’s. Believe me, it is very rewarding when you get one of those guys who have the capacity for success and help them to become a complete athlete, like Athlete 2.

Prepare and have the confidence to succeed when opportunity comes your way.Your family, friends, coaches, and teammates know the type of ability you possess. What would they say or think if you wasted your opportunity because you failed to prepare?

-Mark

If you’re ready to prepare the right way, fill out the form HERE and schedule a trial workout.