As many of you know our youngest is now a KU Jayhawk. She wears the colors of the bird with pride. And so do we. We bought the t-shirts. We have the tickets. We are all in.
Miriam is in full soccer mode. Her game face goes on and she is a fierce competitor. I get overwhelmed sometimes thinking about how she has grown up and how strong, smart and athletic she is. (don’t I sound like a dad?)
I knew she was nervous about her second real season college game. They were facing off with the SMU Mustangs. So I researched her opponent and our next phone call began with me asking, “So who do you think is your biggest competition on the Mustangs?”
Her response was quick and sure and honest. “No one.” There was a pause and she clarified. “I am my biggest competition.”
Fathers are supposed to teach their daughters… but in this case, Miriam taught me. She has learned to look inwardly at competition. That is why she is a winner. She always looks inward…competing against herself to be the best she can be. Constant improvement. Constant growth.
“I am in competition with no one. I have no desire to play the game of
being better than anyone. I am simply trying to be better than the person I was yesterday.”
LoveOfLifeQuotes.com
So Team Phoenix. I think back three and half years. Our culture was built on the same premise. We rise above – – and in doing so we don’t look eye to eye with our competition. At the heights we soar we find only ourselves checking ourselves, pushing ourselves to find new elevation and new perspective.
Yes we are competitive. But our biggest competition is ourselves; can we be mentally stronger and more committed today than we were yesterday!?
By the way… it was a KU win against SMU – 3-0!
Phil Melugin
