What does Failure have to do with Success

Recently a picture circulated across Facebook with a young player asking another player if that was their dad yelling at them in the stands.  The player being yelled at replied, “Yeah, he thinks I will be turning pro next week.”

It is a funny caption that makes all of us look in the mirror and question our enthusiasm for our child performing at a high level.  Now there are many blogs that have been published making parents and fans look quite foolish by yelling and screaming in the stands.  Therefore, this blog will stay away from further admonishment of questionable motivational techniques from parents or coaches of youth sports.  As a matter of fact, the writer of this blog has several stories that many of the readers can recite and thankfully no YouTube videos have surfaced to back those stories up.  Just funny memories that are brought up in my personal running circles.

Rather this blog will focus on a different perspective comparing success with failure.

We have all heard many quotes such as Colin Powell’s words of wisdom, “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence.”  Bill Gates said, “Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” 

However, Wilma Rudolph stated, “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose.  Nobody goes undefeated all the time.  If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.”

Wilma Rudolph knew her fair share of failures.  She was born prematurely in 1940 at a whopping 4.5 pounds.  She was the 20th sibling of 22 from two marriages.  Her father was a railway porter and mother a maid.  At age four she contracted infantile paralysis caused by the polio virus.  Now, she recovered but wore a brace on her left leg and foot which had become twisted as result until she was nine.  In addition to spending a lot of time until she was twelve traveling to and from the hospital she also survived bouts of polio and scarlet fever.

Now the reason we know the story of Wilma Rudolph is that she competed in two Olympic Games in 1956 and 1960.  She was considered the fastest woman in the world in the 1960’s and in the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Game.

Failures are part of life.  It’s how we react to those failures that determines how history will remember us.  Take for example these following facts:

• Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan walked more hitters than any other pitcher in Major League history.
• “Mr. October” and Hall of Famer, Reggie Jackson struck out more times than any other batter.
• Los Angeles Lakers NBA star Kobe Bryant has missed more shots in basketball than anyone in history.
• NFL legendary quarterback, Brett Favre has thrown more interceptions than any other NFL quarterback in history.

Today, my son competes for playing time at his middle school.  I am no longer in charge of his playing time or determines who he takes the field or court with.  I have to hope he remembers the lessons he has learned through successes and failures of the past.  Hopefully, the decisions he makes today will help him be rewarded tomorrow.  However, when situations (whether it be in life, business or sports) don’t turn out the way he plans; maybe he can look at some legends of our past and know that everyone experiences failure.  It’s how we react to adversity that will determine our next success in life.

This blog is dedicated to all of the coaches, parents and fans of RYCA Rockwall Football.  The RYCA youth football program guides hundreds of players a year preparing and developing them for challenges that will present to them.  The picture above is from the 2013 6th grade Nebbie Williams RYCA Jacket Football team.  Each of the boys in the picture have now entered 7th grade and competing in academics, sports and other activities the Rockwall Independent School District has to offer.  Be sure to “Like” the RYCA Jackets Football page to stay up to date on all Jacket news as the Rockwall Jacket Family cheers on the District Champion Rockwall Yellowjackets Varsity High School Program entering the playoffs with an undefeated record.