EDUCATION

Week 3 - What qualities make up a well-rounded student-athlete? (in progress) 

A well rounded student-athlete fits the mold of the 3 Ds: discipline, determination, and drive.

• Discipline - This person values time. They don’t waste a minute of their day and prioritize using their time wisely. The key to this is managing what you do with the time you aren’t sleeping or going to school. A good student-athlete doesn’t make excuses when it comes to after-school programs and sports. I have found that the busiest people excel the most in the gym and classroom.  
• Determination - Once they set a goal, nothing or no one will stop a well-rounded student-athlete from crossing the finish line. Even if obstacles, barriers, or jealousy get in their way, this person goes over, around, or through them to reach their goal. They never complain because they know the obstacles will only make them better. 
• Drive - I’ve watched over three decades of people who step back and wonder why or how the best student-athletes continue to do what they do. In most cases, the program’s best student-athletes become captains.  As a coach, you know you can push the people who are driven because they understand you have to push yourself to achieve positive results. Even parents wonder why their child is so driven and committed, but later in life, the child and their parents thank the program for the experiences they were offered.