The Power of Will – Three Inspiring Athletes

So many things prevent us from being high level competitors in whatever competitive combat sport we dedicate ourselves to… or so it seems. The truth is that there are very few definitive factors that determine our success. One of the most vital elements to that success is Power of Will.

Now, I’m not skilled enough to express deeper sentiments on the Power of Will properly — the paradox of increasing your Power of Will by an act of will — research concerning the set in stone nature of cognitive executive function — the questions of our ability to control and mold our own personality etc. That is why I’m taking the basic route of posting something that assumes we all just need some badass emotional push that make our faces numb, our stomach fill with butterflies, and our motivation inexhaustible.

DSTRYRsg had a great post featuring one of the three videos I’m posting here. Remember that the Power of Will is so important and vital that even if you have a disability that, in theory, would prevent you from competing at all, it is not strong enough to stop you as long as you have the will to reach high, if not achieve the highest level of your sport. Read more »

High School Runner Collapses, Crawls Across Finish Line for Team’s Sake

Imagine being the top runner at your high school and suddenly collapsing in pain just feet away from the finish line. Your team is counting on you, and you’re competing for the state championship. If you quit, you will be disqualified and cost your team the win.

16-year-old junior Holland Reynolds was in just such a dilemma, and she was able to will herself across the finish line in time to gain her and her team the victory. Watch the video of her feat after the jump, and learn more in her interview with ABC News. Read more »

@God Thanks For Nothing… #whyme

From basketball stars to mixed martial artists, often times athletes point up at the sky in gratitude after scoring an important point or thank Jesus in their after victory interview. I have often heard people say, “Why don’t they blame God if they lose? They can’t have it both ways.” Well, in this age of twitter it seems someone has finally put God in his place… sort of.

After Steve Johnson dropped an easy wide open overtime end-zone pass that would have won his team the game, the Bills receiver seemed to shake his fist at God via twitter:

I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO…

- @StevieJohnson13

[via SB Nation]

Team USA Gearing Up for the World Cup

Well, the World Cup is finally here! The final 23-man roster has been named, and Team USA is headed to South Africa. Following their friendly against Turkey on May 29th, which they won 2-1, their next match, also a warm-up, will be in South Africa against Australia before their first official match against England. Though the hype about the US squad is less than it was four years ago, there are high expectations to do better than the previous Cup.

In 2006, Team USA didn’t win a single game, only scoring two goals in a disappointing outing that saw the US sent off in the first round of play. The US was ranked No. 4 in the world at the time, but their opponents in the first round were also highly ranked, Italy eventually winning the Cup.

Now, the USA is ranked 14th in the world, a far cry from their previous ranking, but this time is different. Their opponents in Group C aren’t as highly ranked either, with the exception of England, who is ranked in the top ten at No. 8. Their other opponents, Algeria and Slovenia, are ranked 30 and 25 respectively. Read more »