Act Like You've Been There Before

“A Great man is always willing to be little.”
- Ralph Waldo Emmerson

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I’m all for celebration!  It’s both meaningful and relevant to celebrate life’s significant events.  What I’m not for is self-celebration.  Especially, the self-celebration that we see in sports today, primarily on the football field and basketball court.  Self-celebration is rampant at the professional level and unfortunately, has filtered down to youth sports.  Sticking your tongue out or pounding on your chest after scoring a basket has no place on a basketball court.  Performing a shimmy dance after making a tackle or standing in the end-zone, after scoring a touchdown, with arms raised as if you’re Caesar before his subjects needs to come to an end.  

Basketball and football are team sports.  Success should be celebrated as a team after the game; not after a play, by one individual with a need for attention.  I get it that professional athletes are on a big stage.  The problem is young athletes are in the audience.  Children will mimic what they observe, especially, from their role models; hence, the reason why we find young athletes engaging in self-celebration.

I get it that there is a lot of emotionality in professional sports.  But, a self-centered display of emotion after a big play compromises the team concept.  When Caesar stands in the end-zone to draw adulation from fans, he derogates the effort of the other ten players that made his big play possible.   After the big dunk, with a tongue hanging out like a thirsty dog, the player seems to forget his teammate who made the pass to set up the dunk. Throughout history, individualism has led to the ruination of a good team. 

Whatever happened to “Act like you been there before?”  Several former famous coaches knew the value in promoting this philosophy. The coaches knew that it was through hard work that a player could achieve individual success.  And, practicing humility would lead to the continued success of the athlete and more importantly, the success of the team.  It is in humility that one learns respect; respect for one’s self, teammates, coaches, opponents, referees, and the game itself.  In essence, these great coaches preached, “don’t dance around like a fool when something big happens, instead go immediately back to work to put yourself and your team in a better position to do it can again.”   I ask, “What professional coach today would not like a group of talented, hard-working, humble, and respectful players?”

So, to today’s professional athlete’s I say, please stop with your display of self-celebratory delight.  We fans can recognize a good play, and we understand that big plays take more than one person.  What I do ask is two things from you.  First, please understand that making it to the professional level is a combination of things: God’s gift to you – your talent; your hard work; and the hard work of others, who have coached you, mentored you, supported you and loved you.  So, you see your big plays aren’t only about you.  There are many, past and present, who also deserve credit for the genesis of the big play. 

Next, I ask that you recognize that you are a role model.  Please understand the importance of being a good role model to our youth and recognize it starts on the court and on the field.  You have a unique ability to impact children.  You can teach valuable lessons concerning good character to our youth by the way you behave during a game.  So, the next time you have an urge to engage in a self-celebratory ritual, please hold-off and go back to work.  Once the game is over, the locker room has cleared-out and nobody is watching, go ahead a do a little celebratory dance. Celebrate because the life of a child is better because of you.  It's better because you taught those who watched a very valuable lesson in humility! 

It's your life: live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD