Lessons from the field

I was in my 8th grade playing hockey for 3years. All I could think of was to be in field all the time. So was I ... in the field all the time... apart from my school hours. I did alright in my under 13 tournaments and everything seemed just alright.

That isn't always the case I flunked my midterm mathematics test, an unthought of event for my parents. Now an audit was necessary... One of the afternoons as I rushed in from school and to prepare to go to field... I stopped by my father as it was the routine to hug him. I can still remember his expressions as he asked me, "shall I drop you?"

On the way he explained how he is determined to help me become better player and everything and then he added, "if thats what you want" "I mean to have a career in hockey" he added. and for the first time I thought long and hard about the trajectory of things. I took two years to decide... my Mathematics kept going down the drain for first year and hockey did not improve... I switched my strategy next year and mathematics improved but hockey remained same. I took up Karate as sports and stopped playing hockey altogether by 11th grade.

What hockey gave me was remarkable though, it helped me cope with my rare autoimmune condition (KFD), fuelled my ambition and gave me the courage beyond anything... I sometime look back and wonder if there was an opportunity lost... but I definitely know that there were many gains from those years of playing hockey... here are some that I carry even now and have helped me in my career

1. Joy of showing up : I used to be the first one to show up on the field every single day including weekends. I am usually the first one to show up in the office as well, even online. There is a certain rush of enthusiasm in starting a day of learning and field taught me that.
2. Pass it forward : One doesn't need to do everything oneself, if there is an opportunity for someone else to convert, pass the ball. As a "right in" player I learnt how sometime the forwards have better view and opportunity and its ok to pass. Actually it is best to pass, the ball at one player never converts to goal. I believe passing the opportunity to the next person, has been one of the greatest thing that I could get from field to boardrooms. It doesn't matter if one gets the credit, the job must get done.
3. Young is not always naive : There is power in experience but there is equal power in experiments. The years I played, I was almost always the youngest and the experienced players appreciated and included me, in the game and in the plan. I also saw newer player observing and contributing from the word go. Teams that experimented played better hockey, and they were more young as well... In the teams I lead, I make sure people have a say , no matter their age or experience. Most remarkable ideas can be generated after most outrageous mistakes, so bring them on... younger people also are in tune to popular culture and experienced people can learn a lot from them...
4. Everything is against time : We forget this in life and work but play tells us that. Whether it is the 40 minutes or a lifetime, we are mostly playing against time. so we must plan against time. I may not be able to do it properly and well... but I try to master the art of pacing towards the delivery and deliver to the goal, in time.
5. Sometime you stall : This is one of the most difficult one, I used to get a lot of bashing from the coach for this. Once you have enough, you must take calculated risks and create opportunities through tact. Slow and stall isn't always bad, you look at your team their stamina , their ability to deliver and then pace it down if required. One doesn't need to push too hard and burnout... Pace it down... I do that now as ritual for myself and the teams I am with. I must say this is one of the greatest lessons...

There are many more lessons, but these are the top 5. I am sure you played a game yourself and might have a lesson to share... share it here and enrich. I played Karate for 4 years and that has taught me as much... but that is for another time.

This article is possible because I got reminded of it in discussion with my friend Keyur Zaveri , Rajendra Pandey and Uzma Ahmedi over the weekend. It was about having a choice. I feel privileged that my father had that faith in me and that courage to trust that 13 year old with her life choices.

I also very humbly remember my coach Noman Akram and Pappi Bhai, for their teachings and training. My coach once bashed me for not showing up because of my periods, He later gently explained... "the field is our home, if we are unwell as well, we just show up watch others, take a stroll, soak it in." I never missed a day in the field and rarely miss office, unless very necessary.