Right vs. Easy I #AskASoccerPro Mini-Blog
Right vs. Easy
I was thinking a lot this week about what it means to do what is right, vs. what is easy. For the most part, I think we know what the right thing to do is, with the exception of a few situations and select individuals who honestly might not know.
Most people will say, “I don’t know what the right thing to do is!” Chances are, you know what the right thing to do is. The problem is, it's very hard to do the right thing because there usually isn’t anyone holding you accountable. That’s why doing the right thing is usually pretty difficult.
You want to do what’s right. Not what’s easy.
So, how does this concept of right vs. easy apply on the soccer field?
If you know me, you know I’m all about winning. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win. Now, being the person who is the victor, the hero, the one who is taking all the glory and accolades is not always the best way to go about winning in the long term.
If the way you’re going about winning is to the detriment of everyone around you, if the only way you can build the tallest building is by knocking down everyone else’s, or the only way you can get to the top of the mountain is by stepping on the heads of everyone around you; you might get to the top, but you’re going to be really lonely there.
You’re not going to be able to share your glory with anyone, and you’re going to have to ask yourself, “was it all worth it?”
Chances are, it wasn’t.
The Analogy of the Forward
For me, doing what’s right vs. what’s easy on the field involves developing a different perspective on how to be a forward. The forward is supposed to be the stereotypical selfish person on the team who has to have glory and score all the goals. It’s all about them and I understand that to a degree. To a certain extent, you need to be full of yourself and have confidence.
What I don’t believe is that there is only one way in which you can approach playing the position of forward. For me, I can see my teammates and know when there are people on my team who are better at finishing than I am.
So, I have to ask myself, is it more important that I score the goal, or, is it more important that I create the best opportunity for the best goal scorer to score a goal?
Depending on what the outcome is, and what you personally want will determine your answer to that question. Most people want the glory and they want it to be them scoring the goal. For me, I think, “if I want to win and I think I have a greater opportunity of winning the game by setting my teammate up for success to score a goal, then that’s what I’m going to spend my time, energy, and effort on. Because if the goal is to win, then setting my teammates up for success is the right thing to do.
Remember though, just because you do the right thing and set the person next to you up for success doesn’t mean that they will do the same for you; in fact it’s usually not the case. I’m also not going to tell you that my way is the best or only way to play the game.
As the game currently stands, players are rewarded for being selfish. But, hey, that’s what we’re here to hopefully change, or at least get people to open up to the idea that there are different ways to play the game. It’s not always the person with the ‘best’ stats who is the greatest contributor to the overall success of the organization.
Make sure to check out the full-length episode here, and the PS Clip, 'Right vs. Easy' below!