I used to play a lot of different sports. Seven years in soccer and then I tried my hand at stuff like cricket and rugby. I always loved being competitive, it was instilled into me from day one. Compete or watch. If you didn’t want to take part, then watch those that did. I remember watching other games of older kids playing soccer, and in particular, I would notice guys that were slower and much less skilled. And to most it was either sad or frustrating as they lacked the talent and the drive to keep up with the more advanced players. Despite all of that, I began to actually admire them. Getting in the game is half the problem, participating is the other half.

I played in a soccer competition on Saturday. It was probably the most gruelling competition I’ve ever participated in, and not because I hadn’t played in a while, it was the players itself that made it that much more of a dog fight.

The individual’s ranged from big guys to small guys, guys with muscles and guys with real big guts, and in every instance, guys who played clean and guys who played dirty. There was a lot of push and shove, a lot of grabbing and a lot of in your face attitude. Most of the time it was just intimidation, guys who got off on making people feel scared on the field, even though half of these guys were skinny and would break if anyone who had any physical prowess even flicked them.

See most people either walked away or just stood there and took it. They faltered in that situation or, surprisingly, ignored it and  were un-phased. I thrive on it. Whenever I hear the words, “play hard”, all I can think about is how “hard” these particular people think they are. You see i realised that its not until someone better comes along and shows them up does everyone understand that most of these guys are all talk and fail when they realise that they can be beaten.

Calming yourself and allowing the mentality to remain competitive through many of these obstacles are really what separate good workers and faulted workers. We choose what we can do in any situation and the same goes for our focus. I wasn’t afraid to call out hecklers and dirty players, because I am not intimidated at all. What are they going to do? Start a fight at a soccer competition because they don’t get their way? Only children do that. They react and cry and have a tantrum because they genuinely don’t know what else to do. In these situations it’s the same. When these people are matched up and beaten they get frustrated and lash out because they don’t know how to take it on the chin and move forward.

This is where I think that hard work and emulating the same intensity you have in your training into your performance is a real test of character. Never be afraid, not to anyone, especially when you’re doing nothing wrong. Be strong in what you have and show it, even if they do beat you, have they really won the war? They’ll continue to act the way they act and eventually they’ll come across someone bigger, faster and stronger or someone with enough resources that proper wrecks them. Play fair, play well …but play hard, that’s something I try to embody every time I walk out onto a field, or in any other aspect of my life. To be competitive, to play hard, means you’re in the game, you’re competing and you’re not just watching and while you may lose every once and while you are still in that race, and you still have a chance to  win.