The Proper State of Mind

If you think you’re beaten, you are

If you think you dare not, you don’t

If you’d like to win but think you can’t

It’s almost a cinch that you won’t

For out in this world you’ll find

Success begins with a fellow’s will

It’s all a state of mind.

For many a race is lost

Before a step is run

And many a coward fails

Before his work’s begun

Think big and your deeds will grow

Think small and you’ll fall behind

Think that you can, and you will

It’s all a state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before you win the prize

Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man

But sooner or later the fellow who wins

Is the fellow who thinks he can

It’s all a state of mind.

– Ray Eliot

Definition from Ray Eliot; That dynamic something that jumps into your heart and soul and tells you you’ve got what it takes to get the job done–regardless of odds –regardless of odds!! The Secret to motivating people is to have them know THEY CAN every time they compete!!!!

Elena Benevento was a sophomore in high school! She was a member of the first ever track team in the newly opened school. In fact it was the first ever girl’s track completion in the state of NJ. The state association was beginning to add girl’s Track Programs all over the state and this indoor season was to be the first!

I was assisting boys track at the time and the coach asked if I would want to take the girl’s program. I knew how to coach track, but had never worked with girls. I decided to use the same methods as with the boys and I found out coaching is coaching! Boys or girls responded to the same coaching philosophy.

Our school was laid out in a figure 8 on the second floor. and this made it easy to run practice indoors! We were preparing for our first meet, an indoor meet at a convention center in Camden NJ.

Two days before the meet while practicing sprint starts on the second floor one of our best runners went beyond the stopping point in the hall and ran into a door with a glass window and pushed her arm through the window in attempting to stop herself.

When I arrived at her side we stopped the bleeding, covered her arm, prevented her from going into shock and of course called 911. I knelt by her side, and the first words from her were “Am I going to be able to run tomorrow night?!” I reassured her we would look into the matter after she was attended to!

Her remarks impressed me. She mentioned nothing about her condition. Her only concern was running in the meet the next evening.

Elena was taken to the hospital and had to remain there for a couple of days!

The next evening while preparing to go to the meet, I told the assembled team about Elena’s only concern after her accident was she going to be able to run Friday Night. She never mentioned her condition, or showed any signs of discomfort.” Am I going to be able to run in the meet?”.

I suggested that we go to the meet and do our best for Elena. We boarded the bus and by chance we rode past the hospital where Elena was recovering. As we made our way past the hospital you could hear a pin drop. All heads and eyes turned together toward the hospital as we rode toward the convention center.

At that moment the girls developed the proper state of mind for this track meet. That dynamic something jumped into their hearts and souls and told each one of them that they had what I took to get the job done regardless of the odds.

We won every race and relay going away! The relays weren’t even close! We established records that stood for a long time, and we as coaches discovered our team was very talented and had a big heart!

Elena recovered and with the team went on to win the state championship the following spring.

With the proper state of mind nothing is impossible!!

In competition we have to search for the proper state of mind whether for the long term, Impossible Dream or short term, for one game as with the Elena story. The proper state of mind is the next step above passion, goal setting, and proper training! It makes great athletes play better, and it makes not so great athletes play great. You may not win them all, but if your team has the proper state of mind they will be playing for something bigger themselves and it will be one hell of a battle!!!!