Talking To The GOAT
After every NFL game, you’ll see players from both teams meet at midfield, where they exchange pleasantries, many catching up with friends and former teammates.
After every NFL game in which Tom Brady plays, you’ll see rows of players jockeying for position for their chance to talk to the G.O.A.T.
For Taylor Heinicke, after Washington’s Wild Card playoff loss to Tampa Bay, this was a mission of special significance. In front of a national television audience that expected to see a no-name quarterback flop, Heinicke had just acquitted himself quite nicely, passing for 306 yards and logging two touchdowns while keeping his team within eight points.
“Yeah. It’s always really cool when you’re talking to a future Hall of Famer,” Heinicke told King. “Probably the best quarterback to ever play the game. It’s a neat experience. He just told me I played a hell of a game, showed a lot of grit out there. And just to keep working.”
“Again, for that to come from him, it’s pretty neat,” he said. “Not a lot of people get to experience that.”
That excerpt borrowed from an article borrowed from 106.7 The Fan that Barbara (my wife) shared with me.
As is often the case, a meditation on mastery was borne.
What was Tom Brady really saying to the younger and less experienced Taylor Heinicke, who had just exhibited potential for greatness?
He was teaching him the law of the process, one of the most important Blackbelt Leadership principles we teach at Krav Maga Martial Arts.
Excellence happens daily, but not in a day.
He was in one in-depth statement both praising the younger QB’s natural potential and alluding that it takes 10,000 hours to become great at anything.
It takes only a little research of the records and stats to understand why many consider Tom Brady the Greatest of All Time, the GOAT, when it comes to football quarterbacks.
But what some could miss, if not taking the time to meditate on the subject as we are, is what it took to get there.
All great accomplishments come at considerable cost.
Those that become great- athletes, professionals, Blackbelts, people- are the ones that put in the time and put in the work.
I used to think that I could recognize who would be my greatest students and Blackbelts one day by their innate talent; but now I know that the opposite is sometimes true.
Sometimes those with the greatest gift think they “got it” too quickly, and fail to do the work it takes, or even stay training long enough, to be truly great.
On the other hand many of my greatest Blackbelts showed very little physical gift when they began.
So now I know to look for the hunger, humility, work ethic and grit.
These are the things that create greatness in the end.
Grand Master Stephen J. Del Castillo
Krav Maga Martial Arts Adult Krav Maga training is a complete adult self defense, fitness, and conditioning program for adults who want to learn real world self defense, lose weight, and/or get (and stay in shape).
If you have any questions about our program, or would like to go ahead redeem your 2 weeks FREE, you can call us anytime at 813-547-6368 or visit our Krav Maga Martial Arts website.
About Grandmaster Stephen J. Del Castillo: Grandmaster Del Castillo is the founding Master Instructor of Krav Maga Martial Arts and has been empowering lives in Pasco and Hillsborough Counties since October of 2000. He is a 7th degree Blackbelt, MBA, author, mentor and success coach, a US Army Veteran and a proud father and grandfather. He is married to Ms. Barbara Del Castillo who helps him run the school. Grand Master Del Castillo began his training in the early 80’s and has high level blackbelts in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Premier Martial Arts and Krav Maga Martial Arts as well as experience in kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do and Jiujitsu. He has high level instructor certifications from BBSI, IKMF, and KMG and has been featured in numerous Martial Arts publications and also Success magazine. He was a competitive sport karate and American Kickboxing instructor until he enlisted in the US Army where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, where he won an Army Green to Gold scholarship and proceeded to ROTC and the University of Tampa. He was commisioned in 1992 and went on to serve in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division and then in several other posts in the US until he left military service to pursue his dream of creating KMMA in 2000.
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