Athletic Swag

Did you see the Super Bowl on Sunday?

Very good game. Very good athletes. Many emotions. Many cheers and even less jeers, hopefully. There were even two halftimes. Yea, you know that power outrage was a halftime for the 49ers. But, did you see the swag of the athletes?

Swag is better known as style, according to the Online Urban Dictionary. Do not read the entire definition on the OUD. Actually, attitude is a better word. Jacoby Jones, the bolt of speed that returned a 108-yard kickoff for a touchdown (TD) showed lot of attitude when he tied the record for the longest kickoff return for a touchdown in NFL history. It was the longest kickoff return ever in the Super Bowl. Before the ball was kicked, Jones in the back of the endzone. It was like he knew and saw himself scoring a TD because as soon as he caught the ball...lights out. Only one opposing player touched his leg. The rest of him was a blur and celebration ensued in the far endzone.

Did you see the attitude of the Raven's defense? Hey, they would not let an ounce of air pass them prior to the power outage. Fueled by the motivation of Ray Lewis, the defense was full of confidence. As the game progressed and as the Ravens almost squandered their lead, the defense came up big and stopped a crucial 49ers effort near the goal line. So how far does attitude go? Really, as far as it is taken.

Observing athletes like the ones that played in Super Bowl XLVII brings the sport to a new level. Can you imagine how well you could perform if all of your efforts were accomplished with a great attitude? Athletes, though rough at times, have stellar attitudes. Sure, they receive a hefty paycheck and get preferential physical treatment after practices and games. However, they still get beat up. The ones that play contact sports endure a lot. Every week or, depending on the sport, two to three times per week, these athletes take a beating inflicted by someone else. You need a good attitude to sustain that type of physicality, especially in a professional career that spans a decade or more.


Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS                              TEEM Performance Training