It’s difficult for all of us to keep a positive outlook with all the negativity that surrounds us with the current crisis, however, I do think it is time that we all do what I learned from many of my coaches in the past:

“Get your head right!”

At the risk of being called Al Bundy, I won’t hesitate to share lessons that I learned on athletic fields as well as the general field of life that have helped me overcome adversity.  Although none of us have faced what we are now facing, we’ve all had to overcome adversity in our lives.  I’ve said something similar to the following to myself many times as well as many players that I coached in the past:

You are in a tough situation and have a crucial decision to make.  You can be paralyzed by your fear and quit right now, or you can stand up, face it, and do something about it!

As for me, although I’m assessing this situation with facts and adhering to the advice of experts, I will not live my life in fear!  How about you?

Let’s fight, but let’s fight in a smart way.  Fighting smart means you respect the threat of your opponent.  Just as a pitcher in baseball does not throw a 2-0 fastball down the middle of the plate, waist-high, to a power hitter, or a defensive football team strategically determines the right play to blitz a great quarterback, or a military general determines the precise time to attack the enemy, you have to play smart and respect your opponent.  Fighting doesn’t always mean throwing caution to the wind in aggressive pursuit.  Sometimes, it means waiting patiently for your next move.  Muhammad Ali possessed some of the quickest and most powerful hands of any boxer in the history of the sport, but during his prime he adopted a strategy never used before where he would lean back on the ropes and cover himself with his gloves while his opponent attacked him.  His opponent would eventually tire himself while Ali stayed fresh.  Then, at the right time, Ali would go on the attack for the knockout.

I know we’re all ready for this to be over, but we must be patient and fight smart!

Get your head right!

I’m not living in fear!  I’m going to stand up, face it, and do something about it.

I’ll fight!  Will you?