Recently Gloucester High School Coach Lattof shared some thoughts about the GHS summer conditioning program that takes place at Good Harbor Beach, writing “We have always tried to make our conditioning program more than just conditioning. We stress more about life lessons. Every year I ask the kids about their goals, or as we call the “whys,” not only in their sports life, but in their personal lives. Here are a few examples that explain why these kids get up everyday and run the beach. I didn’t include their names because these responses are personal to them.”
My why for my personal life is my mother. She defines perseverance through all adversity in her life. She keeps her head down and works through it. When other people have problems even if she doesn’t know them she puts her issues aside to always help the greater good and even when she has nothing left to give she always finds a way to give something. I want to succeed in life and achieve my goals because she sacrifices so much to give me the opportunity to have goals.
In my athletic life my why is all the people who have ever doubted me. People I hate with a passion who have looked down on me as anything less then great, even some people I love who just don’t think i have what it takes to make it to where I want to go. Everyone has always seemed to think I’m just another guy on the field, another player on the lineup that is average and nothing special but I want nothing more then to prove those people wrong and show them I am someone great.
My why in my personal life is to be successful. The reason being successful drives me is because my parents came from nothing. They worked so hard to ensure me and my siblings were given the best opportunity to succeed and I feel as if I would be doing them a disservice by not being as successful as I can be. They have always pushed me to strive for excellence whether it be academically or athletically and I want to make sure that their effort and hard work doesn’t go to waste.
Athletically, my why is proving those who doubted me wrong. In school I always hear kids talking down on the football team thinking that we’re going to continue to be mediocre next season. The insults and doubts make me work harder. Another why that I have athletically is to work as hard as I can to be in the best position to help my team succeed. If I don’t work as hard as I can I’m not only letting myself down but I am hurting the team.
“Thought you would like to read what inspires these kids. This is just a small sample!”