A little over
a year ago, a young 16 year old enthusiastically participated in pre season
rugby training hoping to make the First team. But he wasn’t selected for the
squad. This squad would later become the first and second teams for the season.
He was
disappointed, but after a couple of days he asked the coach if he could please continue
to train with the squad for the experience alone.
When the season
began he was placed in the 3rd team. After a few games a player in
the Seconds was unfortunately injured. Our young player got an opportunity to take
his place for the rest of the season.
This year he did
make the cut for the first squad and was selected for the Firsts.
And just last
week, the now 17 year old, was announced as Vice Captain for the Golden Lions
Craven Week team (provincial school age rugby).
I wonder if
he’d have got this far if he hadn’t pushed for the extra training a year before?
And one more
quick story.
A second year
dance student had her heart set on performing at the Grahamstown National Arts
Festival last year. However she wasn’t cast in any of the three pieces. All those
not in the cast were told they could still attend rehearsals if they wished,
and a few chose to do so.
Our young
dancer worked at all the dances, hoping to be an understudy. When the final
touring cast, including understudies, was announced she wasn’t in it.
However she
continued to attend rehearsals. A couple of weeks before the Festival one of
the cast members pulled out and the young dancer was asked to take her place.
In the new
Dance Season, which followed the tour, she got to perform not only the touring
pieces but all the new ones as well.
How different
would the year have been if she had given up after the first setback?
Most of us
have experienced obstacles on the way to a goal. When that happens do you only
see one blocked path? Do you give up?
Sometimes we
need to be like the young people in the stories above - creative, flexible,
give a bit more of ourselves without a guarantee of reward. And perhaps we can
still reach that goal, all be it along a different path.
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