“When one door closes, another opens;
but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door
that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”
- Alexander Graham Bell

Jenna playing soccer

Some of the greatest lessons that a person can learn about life and leadership comes from playing sports.

It’s on the playing field that we discover how important it is to have a positive attitude, be a team player, and give 100% effort.  There is also an inherent risk of injury, defeat, and disappointment when it comes to playing sports. How we handle those challenges and what we learn from them can help us not only grow as an athlete but more importantly as a person.

Jenna, a student-athlete at Essex High School in Essex, VT knows this first hand. Going into her senior year she was captain of her soccer team and the season ahead was full of promise. During a preseason game in one play Jenna tore her left ACL, cracked her kneecap and cracked her femur bone. Her season was over – and for someone who lived and breathed soccer – Jenna was devastated.

She now had to face one of the biggest challenges an athlete can be confronted with – dealing with a season-ending injury.

I asked Jenna how she handled this setback and what she did to turn such a painful experience into something positive. Her lessons and insights may not only make a difference for athletes but for anyone confronted with an unexpected turn of events.

It’s Okay to be disappointed, sad, frustrated and even angry.

It can be a shock to learn that you cannot finish your season or possibly ever play again. Give yourself the time to process the upset. It’s okay to be disappointed, sad, frustrated and even angry at first. The best thing for parents, friends, family and coaches to do is to bring as much understanding and compassion to the situation as possible.

When you’re dealing with a student athlete who has a passion and love for the game and has spent their whole life playing a sport and then has a season-ending injury, the last thing they want to hear initially is ‘you’ll bounce back from this’. Just listen and let a little time pass.

Set new goals

Redefine your role and focus

Once you have had time to process the disappointment, it’s important to re-frame this experience and focus on what you can control and contribute to your team. In this case, Jenna asked herself, “although I can’t be a leader on the field, what can I do from the sidelines as a captain/leader/teammate to help my team?”

Examples include: spending extra time after practice with a player who is struggling with their shot or helping a player with their dribbling. It could include taking the time to have 1-on-1 conversations with some of the players and letting them know what a great job they’re doing, encouraging them to do their best. By being engaged in the game and encouraging her teammates Jenna was able to “not get caught up in the past and what could have been.”

Create new opportunities

Student athletes can sometimes define themselves as just a “soccer player” or a “basketball player” and lose sight of the bigger picture. When you are faced with a season-ending injury it causes you to see that you are much more than just the sport that you play. You have other talents and have the choice to start setting new goals and create new opportunities.  For example, you may find that after going to physical therapy to recover from your injury that you now want to get into sports medicine.

Keeping the passion for the game

Just because you can no longer play your sport does not mean you cannot be a part of it. You could get into coaching, become a sports broadcaster, or even work for a professional team in public relations.

The point is the love and passion for the game does not have to go away, you just might have to walk through another door to find it.

What have you learned in dealing with a season-ending injury? Share in the comment box below or connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

Life Lessons from a Season-Ending Injury is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

I’m here at Central Michigan University as a part of an elite program for student leaders here called Leadership Safari. They bring in 1700 leaders, incoming first year students to participate in a five day intensive leadership program. I’m standing right now in Kelly Short Stadium.

This is truly a first class University. It’s always great this time a year coming to a University like this to be a part of their orientation program and to talk with first year students. One of the challenges that I always give to the first year students is to close the chapter on the past. On where they came from, on what they did, what they didn’t do, what worked out and what didn’t work out. And that they have a new chapter to write as they begin their journey here at Central Michigan University. I also challenge them to set high goals, to get involved, to take positive risks, to step outside their comfort zone and to meet new people.

As we go into a new school year I think these are questions that all of us should ask ourselves and answer if we’re going to continue to go and live and create an extraordinary life.

How will you kick off the new school year? is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

Photo Credit - Elaine Nord

Elaine always wanted to be a professional sports photographer. Her first step in making this goal a reality was by creating a “Dream Board “ which included pictures of her photography and images that inspired her and reminded her of where she wanted to go. Elaine then began to really get clear and specific in her language about what she was going to do. She went from wanting to be a professional sports photographer to making the declaration, “I will be a professional sports photographer and have my work published in a newspaper within the next year.” She achieved that goal within 6 months and then continued to pursue her passion by taking photos at the NCAA Lacrosse Semi-Finals.

Elaine is someone who understands that by getting clarity on what she really wants is one of the keys to living her dreams. She made the decision to not just “hope” and “wish” which would get her lost into the “someday” world. A world where someday never comes and dreams get lost. Instead she has taken a dream, made it specific and taken powerful, consistent action.

Another part of her success is that she keeps moving forward. She entered her photos into a Juried Photography Show where she was selected to show and even sold one of her prints. She decided to further her education by attending the Photography at the Summit, Sports Photography Workshop in Colorado Springs, CO. It was there that she met incredibly talented people and had the opportunity to take photos of future Olympians at the Olympic Training Center. She had her portfolio reviewed by several professional photographers including those from Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press.

It’s people like Elaine that inspire me and are an example of what it takes to live an extraordinary life. Be passionate, get clear, take action, and keep moving forward.

I invite you to take a look at some of her work on her gallery.
Elaine Nord’s Photo Gallery

Snapshot of Success is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

I just finished reading, “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. If you have
not already read it, it is a must read.

“The Last Lecture” is now one of my top ten favorite books of all time. One of my favorite quotes in the book is, “It’s not about how to achieve your dreams.  It’s about how to lead your life.  If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself.  The dreams will come to you.”

When I think of the magical moments of my life and dreams that have come true I can see that there was nothing forced or controlled.  I allowed the moment or the event to unfold naturally. I was present and patient with what was happening and danced in the conversation. That’s not to say that I did not work hard and had to overcome obstacles. I think that’s what Randy Pausch meant when he said, “The dreams will come to you.”

As children our dreams are never about fixing or changing things. Rather they are about creating, exploring, and having fun. As we get older we sometimes forget that. When was the last time that you made a list of your dreams? Not a big “to-do” list or a “what I want to accomplish list” but a real child-like dream list. A dream list filled with fun, play, and adventure.

Here are some dreams are on my list:

• Throw out an opening pitch at Fenway Park
• Take a 7-day white water rafting trip down the Colorado River
• Ride on Air Force One
• Golf with Tiger Woods and my two brothers
• Vacations to Italy, Ireland, and Napa Valley

Dream Big!

P.S. What’s on your list?  I invite you to share some here in the comments below.

What’s On Your List? is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

I had the opportunity to present a four hour leadership training in San Francisco, California this past Sunday to an elite group of student- athletes representing every school in the PAC 10 conference.

It was inspiring to be in a room filled with NCAA champions, Olympians, and future professional athletes. The focus of the training was to teach them the principles and skills that are essential to being an effective leader. During one of the breaks, one of the student -athletes came up to me and asked me the following question.

“Ed, what if you are afraid of sharing your goal/dream with others?” I thought the question was a surprising one considering the level of success she had already achieved in and out of her sport. In talking with her it occurred to me that no matter how much we have accomplished in life, when we dream and set a big goal for ourselves, the thought of sharing it with others can be scary. You start to ask yourself questions like what if they say it’s not possible, what if they laugh at us, what if they hold us accountable?

I don’t think we have to share are goals/dreams with the world or share it on Facebook or Twitter. However, I do think that we should share it with at least a trusted friend, partner, or coach. In doing so that person can support us, encourage us, and in many cases provide resources to help us in achieving our goal. When we don’t, I think it gives us an opportunity to play it safe and we don’t give ourselves an opportunity to go farther than we may think we can. It’s Ok to be nervous even scared when we are setting a big goal for ourselves. It means that you are really up to playing big in the game of life.

What big goal or dream do you have that makes you a little scared/nervous?

What is the last big goal/dream of yours that you have shared with a trusted friend, partner, or coach?

Playing Big in the Game of Life is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog