I write about my son often. Today, I am inspired by play in the lacrosse cage (goal). Tuesday night he put up some impressive statistics, despite a tough 7-1 loss for his team. He faced 27 shots on goal, and allowed only 7. I knew this was good, but the coach made me feel even more proud when he told me that college goalies hope for 55%. My son plays 5/6 (he’s in the sixth grade).
These statistics got me thinking—as such things often do. Fifty-five percent. That is not the number I would have expected. And, maybe, that is how it is in life. We think that everyone expects us to be perfect, but, in reality, 55% is pretty darn good.
We can expect that life is going to be hitting us with hard shots—low and in the corners. The key is to get in front of them and do our best. We aren’t going to stop them all, but we don’t have to.
What impresses me most about my son’s goaltending is his willingness to step into the ball. Most often, he stops the shot with a body part. Getting hit with a lacrosse ball is not fun! Most 11-year-olds are more inclined to move away from the ball. He steps to the ball instinctively. One of the coaches commented that the wrestling is paying off for him. (I had the same thought.) Eventually, he will improve his stick handle and be making more stops with the stick face. Having the intuition to move to the ball, now, will make this easier later.
I find a life lesson here (of course). When we are faced with challenges in life, we just need to step into them. Call ‘em “opportunities”. Call it moving from “have” to “get” (Andy Lausier). It is when we step into the circumstances of our lives—embrace them—that we can grow and succeed. Liam had an incredible game, but the opponents still won. Why? Because they took more shots. The score would have been far worse had the boy in the goal shied away from the ball.
We aren’t going to stop all the shots in life. We can, however, stop more than we allow to get by us—if we have confidence and are fearless. Step in to what challenges you. Lead with your body and don’t be afraid. If you do, you will see more success than if you move away from the ball.
Wayne Gretzky famously said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Likewise, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t block (sounds like Yogi Berra, if he coached lacrosse). So, step into life. Carpe momento!
“In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.”—Yogi Berra