Father John Doyle School, Coventry, RI
On October 7, 2014 Chuck Wilson spoke to parents and kids participating in the youth basketball program at the Father John Doyle School in Coventry, Rhode Island.
We enjoyed our visit with the parents and young athletes on basketball sign-up night, and came away from it with a good feeling. We talked about how to be a good teammate and the importance of playing fairly and responsibly. We also spoke about “fear of failure” and the value of perseverance in overcoming adversity.
The 4th to 8th graders in attendance are too young to have seen Michael Jordan play, but as we spoke about MJ’s belief about falling and getting back up.
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
You could see it connected.
Jordan’s famous 1997 NIKE commercial about failure and success still has an impact 17-years later.
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take a game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
While outcomes seldom are within our control, Effort and Attitude™ are two things in life we do control. It’s all on us. We decide how much effort we put into anything we do and the attitude we bring to any task. And, we own our character. It is up to us to decide how we want to compete in life.
Do you want to be a person who others trust?
Founder & Executive Director
Chuck Wilson is an award-winning host, interviewer, and commentator. He was an original host on ESPN Radio and was with the network for close to 17-years. In 2007, Wilson was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport. He is the founder of Even Field.