Cherish Every Moment

Consider this: One year represents 50% of a two-year-old toddler’s life time, but only 1.25% of an 80-year-old’s.  Therefore, the length of each hour, day, week, or month seems much longer to the toddler than to the octogenarian.  It is all relative.  And, relatively speaking, the older one gets the faster time rips along.

Another consideration: One never gets any moment back.  When it’s gone, its history.  Kids think they will live forever.  When one is young, there is always tomorrow.  They will always be young.

The point is this: take advantage of every moment you have.  You are young once, and believe me, it is fleeting.  Never take health for granted.

In sports an athlete has the opportunity to experience some of life’s greatest situations.  There are thrilling moments, dull ones, happy and sad times, pain and laughter.  Practices sometimes seem endless.  There is team conflict.  Grumpy coaches.

 One cannot put today in a savings bank to be used later.

No matter what the situation, make the best of it; because you only get one crack at it, then it is gone.

Everyone, in any situation, has choices.  Each person can control his or her attitude in any challenge. There is wisdom, knowledge and learning to be had all of the time.  Enter every situation with an attitude that allows for a positive result in your development even though the experience will occasionally cause anguish.  Don’t waste a moment being an attitudinal wimp.

I can think of many exceptional examples of people I have known who have shown extraordinary courage exhibited and fueled by a positive attitude.  A great example is the late Kirk Kilgore who passed away a few years ago. 

Kirk was a big, blond, left-hander, who was an All-American at UCLA.  He brought serious flame from the right-side and is the arguably the greatest southpaw to play in the USA.  He was instrumental in the USA Men’s upset of Cuba in the 1973 NORCECA Zone Championships qualifying the Americans for the prestigious World Cup. 

After his National Team stint he played professionally in the Italian League.

He was in his prime and one of the most dominating attackers on the planet.

At practice one day, the intense defensive drill required diving to play a distant ball.  His hands were sweaty.  As everyone came to expect, Kirk gave maximum effort to retrieve the ball.  His hands slipped on the floor.  His chin made heavy contact with the surface.  Many players have experienced the same thing, bruising or cutting their chin or mouth.  But this time, Kirk’s neck snapped causing severe spinal cord damage.  In a millisecond,

this talented athlete was a quadriplegic.  A doctor quietly told me he would be lucky to live five years.

With his life confined to a wheel chair where he controlled it with his mouth and chin, did Kirk wimp out?  No. He carried the same aggressive, positive attitude into his new challenge.  He became an excellent announcer.  He coached.  He gave motivational talks. 

Once, in San Diego when I was coaching the USA team Kirk came by practice.  My older children who, at the time were 8 and 10 years of age were with me.  I took them over and introduced them to Kirk, explaining that I had the opportunity to coach him a few years earlier.

They had never talked with anyone in a wheel chair who couldn’t move.  Kirk was sensitive to their hesitation; asked me if it was okay to talk with them for awhile.  While I went back to practice he talked with them, encouraged seemingly uncomfortable questions, and provided one of the outstanding educational, inspirational moments my kids experienced. 

They talked of that encounter for years. 

Kirk made a great life under dire circumstances.  It was tough, well beyond what most of us have had to endure. The lingering inspiration that he left behind with those who knew him defines the powerful person he was.

Relish every situation.  Every opportunity.  Every challenge.  Live them to the maximum.

Have a great week.