What makes an athlete??

Recently, I have been evaluating my direction in fitness training. I have an inner beacon, which has always guided me more toward the holistic approach of integrating wellness into my life as well the lives of others. So last night, as we were all enjoying a homemade pizza dinner, Noah began a conversation regarding his football coaches approach to eliciting "power" from the boys. He mentioned that when you are across the line, defense facing off an offensive player, (your own teammate included), that you need to relinquish any thoughts of friendship and draw upon your anger to "overpower" your opponent. Now anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE football, but this simple statement elicited a deep inner response from me. Football is indeed about power, strength, perseverance, and skill...but anger, from 10 year old boys yet!!! Somewhere from deep within my core, stirred a fire generated by my inner coach. So my first thought was, from a purely physical basis, I can understand the coaches need to draw upon the boys physical strengths to generate power. But, I was having tremendous issue with his need to elicit anger from boys, and in turn, generate that anger toward opponents and teammates.
To be the best you can be in any endeavor in life takes determination, drive and one very important component, FOCUS. Anger will never equate with FOCUS. If anything the more anger that is generated in a given situation, the more power and energy is diminished. Sustained anger depletes our power on all human levels, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
Anger is a purely natural emotion, imperative to our fight or flight response. Football, or any sport come to mention it, in my estimation does not require such response reaction.
As a holistic practitioner, I cannot stress enough the importance of teaching, coaching and living life with regard to all facets of our humanness, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual components.

To concentrate attention or energy on something...definition of FOCUS
A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility, intense, explosive, often destructive emotion ...definition of ANGER

Lets help our children redefine what it really means to become an athlete!!