By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
“Many of us are afraid of the in-between times in our lives – whether we are moving to another team, between football seasons or between our past and our future. We often feel uncertain about the changes we see and feel occurring around us. We are likely to be a little fearful about the unknown and what lies ahead. Instead of dreading change though; you must embrace it. Get excited about the changes taking place; for it is those very changes that can – and will – propel you forward and up as both players and as teams.” ~ Gail Blanke, Motivational Author and Coach
Before the 2012-2013 season came to a close, many of you had already begun to see significant changes taking place around you. A wave of coaching changes happened across the league. You may have heard of some management shifts occurring within your club. You likely saw a few of your closest friends and team members move on to play for another team while others still may have bid an emotional and final goodbye to their NFL playing days.
Perhaps you are one of the players who just signed on to play your heart out for what is now your new team; a team you recently regarded as a rival. When changes occur, you are probably thinking that things will never be the same, and you will be right. They won’t be.
Yes, changes can be tough to take and even tougher to adapt to, but one of the best things about playing in the NFL is that we all understand that change is a necessary driver behind what we do. It allows each of us new opportunities to give the game all we’ve got. Thanks to change, we grow as players and as men. Ultimately, change can make the way for better playing, better coaching and what we all want: better football. But still, even though we know it is necessary, we also know that it isn’t always easy.
Gail Blanke, motivational coach and author of “Between Trapezes: Flying Into a New Life with the Greatest of Ease,” the best-selling book about transition and change, believes that all we need to do is simply let go of our old trapeze. The trapeze artist knows that change is critical to his or her success. The airborne moments between “letting go and grabbing hold” are when we truly soar. This in-between season is when we experience the greatest growth as athletes and as men. When we embrace change, we are often able to pull something brilliant out of ourselves.
The really high points and exciting parts of life, according to Gail, appear when we’ve left the past behind us and we don’t yet know for sure what the future has in store.
“The moment you are on the stage and get handed a coveted award – whether it is the MVP trophy or the Vince Lombardi trophy – is a terrific high point, for sure,” Gail claims, “but that’s not where you will find your juice in life. That on-fire and ‘nothing can stop you’ juice that comes roaring and surging through each of us? You can only find that kind of blood-pumping, pulse-racing, high-flying feeling coming forth during your times of change and challenge, which is exactly what a new season of football promises to bring to those fortunate enough to be a part of it.”