“Some people are footballers and some people are athletes. You aren’t either.”

That’s what the strength and conditioning coach told me at the end of season review meeting with the coaching staff. 

He wasn’t insulting me. 

He said it with a smile on his face, but we all knew he was deadly serious. 

And it was the truth. 

I smiled and agreed with him. 

I wasn’t a natural, and my athletic ability was even worse than my rugby skillset. 

I imagine that if you asked the people I played with what my top three attributes were, not one of them would say strength, fitness or speed...or any other similar skill. 

I took the comment how it was meant - as an acknowledgement and recognition of what I had done to get to the top and stay there. 

It wasn’t the only time my lack of skill was openly pointed out. In another end of season review, a coach who was in his first season with the team said, 

“you’ve just got no athletic ability. There’s no other way to put it.” 

Again, we all had a chuckle. 

Again, it wasn’t an insult. 

He was just stating that it wasn’t easy for me and that athletic capabilities didn’t come naturally to me. I had to have something else. 

I’m a big believer in the phrase ‘you can only play with the cards you’re dealt’. 

Whingers and whiners spend too much time going on about things that are out of their control, and using them as excuses. 

I never used my lack of athletic ability as an excuse, or a reason not to achieve. Instead, I worked as hard as I could to get the most out of my body. I had to build determination to push past my physical limits. 

I often hear the expression ‘it’s not that easy’. 

It’s usually said by people trying to justify why they can’t achieve something. 

It’s my most hated phrase in the English language and it’s one that is used far too often by those who will never achieve. 

Why would it be easy? 

Who said it was or should be easy? 

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it…

My definition of determination is simple - it’s your energy output. 

In my head, passion, dedication and determination are all alike. It’s these three things that will show how hungry you really are for your goals. 

Without them, you’ll get pulled up well before you find yourself in too deep. 

You won’t last very long, especially if you’re driving your own business or career… 

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