Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hard work trumps height anyday

Last weekend my son played in his first basketball tournament of the season.

We're not a tall team and to make matters worse, our tallest and one of our best players got the flu and couldn't play the first game. Some of the kids thought for sure they would lose and I would have thought so to when we saw their competition. They were big and strong, some even had facial hair (a lot of it). Also just to help set the scene, our team is made up of grade 9 & 10 boys, while their team was grade 10 & 11 kids.

But you know what happened. The boys worked hard. They played tough defence and didn't let the ball get to the big guys. And in the end they shocked this big team from the city and won the game.

Bragging moment: It was one of my son's best games. He had 28 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 steals, and 3 blocks.

I know there have been times when I look at other writers and thought, wow, I'll never be able to write like they do. Sometimes I accept defeat before I've even played the game. But what I need to keep in mind is that even though I might not have as much natural talent (height) that others have, if I work hard, I can eventually reach my goals. Sure it might take longer, but I'm a firm believer that hard work can trump height anyday.
Please note the photo is not of that game, the kids he played against were much taller and yes my son is the one with the ball and the boy with the moustache, well that was fake (it was Movember).

20 comments:

Southpaw said...

This is a great story. Big kudos to the team and your son too!
My mantra-keep working, just keep plugging away.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

You are so good at tying life to our writing - I love that about your posts, Patti. And your son is a stud! Holy cow, that's a good list of stats!! :-)

Hermana Maw said...

That is an awesome pic.

I'm so glad hard work trumps height! That gives me hope. :)

Jill Kemerer said...

Yay for your son!! My kids are both in basketball, but they're younger. It's fun to watch them learn the game.

And I'm with you. Good writing doesn't come to me naturally, but through hard work, learning, and practice, I'm getting to where I want to be.

Susan R. Mills said...

I can so relate. My son is 14 and only 5 feet tall. He chose not to go out for basketball this year, but last year he tried out and made it. He's definitely the perfect example of hard work trumping all. Nice post!

Melissa Gill said...

Great analogy. I think hard work pays out in the end no matter what. Congratulations on the win. And great action picture.

LTM said...

what a great inspiring insight. Thanks, Patti! Man, now I'm thinking but what about height AND hard work... ! I want that~ ;p <3

Melissa Amateis said...

I love the analogy! You are so spot on. There are times I wonder if I can ever compete with some of those terrific, very talented writers out there. But I just have to be stubborn and keep working.
;-)

Congrats to your son on a SUPER game!

Angela said...

What a wonderful, inspirational message. :)

Colene Murphy said...

What an AMAZING post Patti! I love it. I get that way too sometimes, that "why bother, they're so awesome" feeling. But how will you ever know if you don't try, right?
CONGRATULATIONS to your son and his team! That is an AWESOME victory!

Laura Best said...

Hi Patti, I'm with you on the height thing.

I'm sure all writers have those moments when we look at what others are writing and think the same thing. After all we're only human.

Proud Mama moment for you and your son!

Ellie Garratt said...

That is a great story about winning through hard work. Congratulations to your son and his team!

I love the way you drew parallels with your writing; persistence is a very important part of being a successful writer.

Terri Tiffany said...

Yes you can make it as a writer!!

Carolyn V. said...

Woo hoo! Congrats to your son! That is an amazing story! Just what I needed to hear today. Thanks! =)

Elana Johnson said...

Beautiful story! And yes, we've all accepted defeat before we've even played. It's not a fun place to be.

You can do this!

Robyn Campbell said...

Great photo, Patti. GREAT son stats. Man, so nice. he had to feel GREAT. This just proves that being tall on the outside can be good, but the best way to live our lives is to be tall on the INSIDE. :)

Anonymous said...

I love the tie-in between your son and writing. Hard work pays off and erases all doubt.

Anonymous said...

I agree! Dedication and hard work can win the game, even when it SEEMS like the odds are against it.

kah said...

Big congrats to your son. And I feel your pain. I'm one of the short ones too. On the court AND in the writing world.

Amie Kaufman said...

This is such a great lesson, so true! It's about putting your head down, playing to your strengths and just working until it's done. As I dive into revisions, it's a lesson I'm going to need to keep front and centre!