I was in my hometown Costco when I ran into a woman I used to sit by on the bleachers at Vets Memorial Park. Years ago, our sons played on the same city league baseball team.
She told me her son is in LA right right now, training for the 2012 Olympic backup bike racing team. I asked many questions about how her son caught the racing bug. She told me many things, but what stood out the most was a story about an amazing coach.
This coach believed in her son. He owned a bike shop, and gave him a $6,000 bike. The parents felt like the gift was too much, and spoke with the coach and said they simply couldn't accept it. He insisted, and expressed to the parents that he knew what he was doing. The boy needed the bike.
She told me this significant display of confidence was a major turning point for her son. His commitment increased and his dedication to his sport grew. He trained harder and pushed himself more than he had before. I thought back to the times in my life when someone showed they believed in me. Simple things, yet I rose to the level of their expectations too. We have the power through our words and actions to help others rise to their potential too.
As our brief visit came to an end, I told her it looked like her son was going to be the next Neil Armstrong. She had a funny look on her face and said, "You mean Lance Armstrong."
I laughed as I caught my mistake and added, "But I bet he could go to the moon too, if he wanted to!"
No comments:
Post a Comment