It can be amazing where and when inspiration can strike. Most times you never see it coming. For me this past weekend, I was fortunate to experience it with my own son at his last basketball game.
Basketball is my son’s secondary sport if you will, so he’s more of a middle of the pack kid when it comes to his skill level and experience. The season had its fair share of challenges between an agressive, loud coach, a team full of the smallest and most inexperienced kids, and frustrating losses. All things considered, we kept our son interested and as upbeat as we could. He played great defense all year, but didn’t have too many opportunities to score many points as the majority of the shots would be taken by the point guards which he was never given the opportunity to play.
My son’s last game was Saturday, and for whatever reason, the coach finally gave my son the opportunity to play point guard. He was very excited, and my wife and I were a bit nervous knowing he wasn’t the strongest ball handler. We were in for a treat however as my son took the opportunity given to him, and turned it into one of the best performances of anyone all season. I was in awe as he worked the floor, ran the offense, and simply made plays all game. He scored just about half the team’s points, hit a critical shot to tie the game at the end, and made a defensive play and assist for the game winning shot.
In addition to being incredibly proud of my son, I tried to make sense of what I saw. How did my son who all season just played averagely, instantly become a star? I laughed at the ironic comparison between Jeremy Lin and my son. Two players, relatively unknown, given an opportunity and making the most of it. Of course my son won’t be making the headlines of ESPN anytime soon, but he will at home.
There are a lucky few who are born with either the right genetics, resources, or opportunities to be great and are fortunate to have a foundation with which to build off of. But for every person with these fortunes, there are hundreds without. Most of us can relate to the latter, as can I. Making the most of the opportunities we get and working harder then those that do, are the foundation of success.
Watching my son take advantage of his was a great reminder for me to make sure I make the most of mine.
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