Leadership is... Overcoming Adversity

As a high school football player you can be dealing with many types of adversity. Adversity can come from:

• Issues you are dealing with at home or in school.
• Injuries.
• Weather conditions.
• Officials' calls/penalties.
• Getting behind in a game.
• Making mistakes.

“Adversity brings the character of people down to the level of their circumstance or up to the level of the challenge it presents.”

“The trial of adversity will indicate whether we use the experience of it uses us.”

“Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.”

“More than anything else, what keeps a person going in the midst of adversity is having a sense of purpose. It is the fuel that powers persistence.”

“To achieve your dreams, you must embrace adversity and make failure a regular part of your life. If you’re not failing, you’re probably not really moving forward.”

“Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It’s okay to fail. If your not failing, you’re not growing.”

“When achievers fail, they see it as a momentary event, not a lifelong epidemic.”

Things you must understand about facing adversity:

• Adversity is a part of life. Don’t avoid situations where you might have to deal with it.
• Adverse situations should be a challenge, not a threat.
• Be self-assertive, rather than self-pitying.
• Look for possible solutions, rather than dwelling on the problem.
• During competition stay focused on the task at hand.
• Use positive self-talk to control things from within rather than allowing adverse external factors to take control.