The Way of the Champion: Pain, Persistence, and the Path Forward - Hardcover

Rabil, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593545494 ISBN 13: 9780593545492

Verlag: Portfolio, 2024

Inhaltsangabe

“Accessible and practical, Rabil’s book will appeal to anyone seeking not only to understand what it takes to succeed, but also to understand the courage, discipline, and grace it takes to become a champion. . .Wise, inspired reading.”

— Kirkus


From lacrosse legend Paul Rabil, lessons on becoming a true champion— in sports, business, and life

Long before Paul Rabil had become lacrosses's most acclaimed player, the sport's first million-dollar man, and the cofounder of the Premier Lacrosse League, he always strove for greatness.

The problem was he lacked a manual for how to achieve it— so, he set out to create one himself. He talked to Bill Belichick about how to prepare, Steph Curry about how to practice, Sue Bird about how to develop resilience, and Mark Cuban about how to build a career with longevity. From the wisdom of these and other legends, and through his own—often painful—trial and error, he forged himself into a true champion. And in doing so, he wrote the manual he always wanted.

The Way of The Champion is the synthesis of everything Rabil learned on his path to becoming one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time. But this is not merely a sports book. It is a guide to embodying a champion's mindset—in sports, in business, and in relationships.

According to Paul Rabil, “No one is born to be a champion. It can only be earned— through equal parts philosophy, execution, and sheer determination. I've won and lost championships, business deals, and relationships. I've learned that our best moments come after we've faced our most devestating defeats— when we choose to rise with unwavering resolve. That's the way of the champion."

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Paul Rabil is a former professional lacrosse player and cofounder of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), the 2020 Sports Business Awards Breakthrough League of the Year. Rabil holds the all-time scoring record in professional lacrosse; has won championships and MVP awards as a college, professional, and international athlete; and is a two-time World Lacrosse Champion with Team USA. The New York Times called Rabil “the LeBron James of Lacrosse,” and he was named a Top 40 Most Entrepreneurial Athlete by Entrepreneur magazine. In 2011 he started the Paul Rabil Foundation, with the mission of helping children with learning differences through the power of sport, and in 2019 he founded PLL Assists, which is focused on lacrosse accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion. He lives in Los Angeles and New York.

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Book 1 Amateur

Every artist was first an amateur.

-ralph waldo emerson

Amateur is a term that is often associated with sports, but it is really a way of being that applies to all fields. The word comes from the Latin amator, meaning "lover of" or "enthusiast." An amateur is someone who engages in any activity for the love of it. An amateur athlete plays for the love of the game, without the pressure of performance expectations or financial incentives. An amateur musician plays for the love of it, without the pressure of making a living at their craft. An amateur writer writes for the love of it, without concern of who, if anyone, will read their writing. The amateur is free of expectations, obligations, external pressures, and financial considerations. Here in the early stages, the goal is to find the thing you will eventually fully commit to. The thing you have potential in. Play different sports, try different instruments, take painting classes and acting classes and improv classes. Experiment. Be open. But always be ready to put the work in.

You Can't Miss a Day

In the summer going into my freshman year of high school, I was at a lacrosse camp at Loyola University. Every college coach I'd ever heard of was there, from every school I'd ever seen a shirt for.

At the end of a morning session, the players packed into an auditorium for a talk from one of the all-time coaching legends and former Johns Hopkins head coach, Tony Seaman.

He began with a simple question: "Who here wants to play at a Division 1 school?"

Every kid in the room raised their hand.

"I'll tell you how to do it," he said. "And on top of it, I'll tell you how to get a full scholarship to play at a college of your choice. Who here wants a full ride?"

Every hand shot up.

"It's a simple formula," he said.

I remember feeling so present and focused on each word that it felt like I was levitating.

"There's one thing you have to do. From this day forward, through your senior year of high school," Seaman told us, "you have to shoot a hundred shots a day. That's it. You shoot a hundred shots a day from now through your senior year of high school, I guarantee you will get a full scholarship to the Division 1 college of your choice."

"Do you know how long it takes to take a hundred shots?" Seaman asked. "Thirty minutes. Who here can find thirty minutes to take a hundred shots?"

Every kid in the room raised their hand again.

"Here's the caveat," Seaman said. "You can't miss a day. Not a holiday. You can't miss when it's pouring down rain. You can't miss because you had a game the night before-or the day of. You can't miss a day because you're on vacation. And if you can't find a goal, make one up.

"You have to find a way."

I don't know about the other kids, but I walked out of that auditorium and did what Coach Seaman said. Every single day, rain or shine, I practiced. Everywhere I went, I would find a wall to throw against. A goal to shoot on. From my home state of Maryland to New York, California, and Washington, to England, Italy, Spain, Israel, and France-me, a stick, and a ball.

For twenty years.

And he was right. I was offered a full scholarship to over a dozen universities. As fortune would have it, I decided to commit to the school where Seaman had his best season as head coach-Johns Hopkins University.

It doesn't matter how ambitious or speculative the goal, you get there by taking one small step after one small step. Thirty minutes a day. One hundred shots on net, two hundred words on the page, three hundred push-ups, conditioning. Whatever reps are in your sport, in your business, in your chosen field, you do them. One after another until you hit the magic number.

And there is only one caveat:

You can't miss a day.

Put On Your Blinkers

In the pursuit of becoming a champion, there exists a profound yet often overlooked skill: the ability to give your undivided attention.

We live in an age of constant distraction, making focus a rare gem-one that will separate you from the ordinary.

Racehorses have a field of vision that extends to 350 degrees-they can see to their left, right, and behind. That's far more than the human field of vision, which is around 180 degrees. In the late eighteenth century, a trainer named Henry Jennings began using what's called "blinkers"-a pair of small, leather screens attached to a bridle to prevent a horse from seeing anywhere but in front of them. No distractions. No concern with the competition. Focused only on their gait and the finish line.

Arguably the greatest racehorse of all time, Secretariat had a tendency to run in toward the rail during a race. In the 1970s, he ran with his famous checkered-pattern blinkers, sprinted straight, and took home the Triple Crown.

Jimmy Iovine's first job was a janitorial position at a recording studio. This was where he was introduced to the world of music production, and after dropping out of college, Iovine worked his way up from cleaner to producer. "I don't give a fuck about what anybody thinks," said the cofounder of Interscope Records and Beats by Dre. "When you're running after something, you should not look left and right . . . what does this person think, what does that person think . . . no. Go." Iovine has run after producing more than 250 albums during his career and selling Beats by Dre to Apple for $3 billion.

A champion doesn't just go through the motions. They don't allow their thoughts to drift to past victories or defeats. Rather, they eliminate the external distractions. They are wholly engaged in the present-immersing into the practice and giving it their complete focus and energy.

Feel the sweat on your brow, the strain in your muscles, the rhythm of your breath, the sound of the bass, and the ball in your stick.

Put on your blinkers.

Don't Be Afraid

Every year I run an event with the top fifty high school lacrosse players in the country-it's called Project 9. Each player who signs up knows that it's going to be seventy-two hours of excruciatingly hard work. There will be late-night practices and early-morning tests. Everyone has a playbook and is expected to be on time and prepared for every meeting.

It's the scared straight of high school lacrosse. Because like me when I was their age, very few truly know what it's like at the next level. It's fucking hard as hell, and I want them leaving the event feeling ready for it.

At the end of the weekend, I host one-on-ones. It's ten minutes of anything you want to discuss. Dialogue about lacrosse, goal setting, relationships, pressure, anxiety-anything goes.

I remember sitting with the top recruit in the nation. This kid had a heck of a motor, was insanely skilled, demonstrated great discipline, and was hungry to win at the next level. I asked him what his goals were. "I want to win a championship," he replied.

"What else?"

"Be an All-American."

"First, second, third?"

"First team."

"How many times?"

He looked at me funny.

I looked at him funny. And waited for his answer.

He said, "Maybe two-time?"

I responded, "Why not four-time?"

He said, "Yeah."

We did the same exercise with the number of national championships, what pick he would be in the Pro Lacrosse Draft, and how many gold medals he would win with Team USA.

Over my career, I've thought a lot about goal setting. Most people don't set goals because (1) the act alone is both a major and personal step in the direction of commitment, and (2) it invites hope, fear, and the possibility of regret.

I wanted to be the number-one recruit in the country. I wanted to win four...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Portfolio
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2024
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593545494
• ISBN 13: 9780593545492
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 256
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: M.E.G Cards & Gifts; 443000000000; paula@megcards.com; ; 48 Cloyfin Road; Unit 4, 48 Cloyfin Road; Coleraine; Londonderry; BT52 2NY; Irland