“Toughness is not the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
-Galatians 6:9
Everybody makes mistakes. Nobody is perfect.
We all stumble. We all get knocked down.
The real test of our character is what do we do when we get knocked down?
Do we quit? Do we blame others? Do we make an excuse? Or do we scramble to our feet and get back in the battle?
On February 10,1962 Muhammed Ali fought Sonny Banks at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ali was a heavy 5-1 favorite against the 21 year old unknown from Detroit. A small crowd of around 2,000 were stunned when Banks dropped Ali to the canvas with a lightning fast left hook in the first round. It was the first time in Ali’s career that he had been knocked down. Ali was probably more embarrassed and surprised than hurt by the punch.
Ali scrambled to his feet with newly found resolve. The second round was a round in which Ali fired a stream of left-right combination punches. Most of Ali’s missiles were directed at Bank’s head. Late in the second round Ali dropped Banks on the seat of his pants with a wicked left hook of his own. Banks was hurt but got through the second round.
The third round was more of the same. Ali’s blistering attack punished Banks relentlessly. Twice Banks had to grab hold of the ropes to stay on his feet. Dr Alexander Schiff took a look at Banks after the third round. He told the referee to keep a close eye on the beleaguered fighter. With 26 seconds left in the 4th round the referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the fight. Banks was unable to defend himself.
After the fight, a reporter asked Ali what he was thinking when he got knocked down in the first round. He said he thought “this (the canvas) is no place for a champion.” Ali was the greatest fighter of all time (the GOAT). THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME and he got knocked down. And more importantly, he got back up.
Everybody gets knocked down. It could be financially, socially, physically, spiritually or emotionally. We get knocked down in different ways but we all get knocked down. Pat Summit, Coach K, Peyton Manning, Nick Saban and Lebron James have all won a lot of games and championships. But they don’t win every time.
The next time you get knocked down, remember: it’s not the knockdown that matters. It’s the get up. Everybody gets knocked down. The canvas is no place for a champion.
My coaching buddy, Chris Randall, says “we are always up, or we’re getting up.” I like that. Everybody gets knocked down but if we respond correctly we’ll be remembered for the get up rather than the knockdown.
-Coach T
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