The Standard

I was watching a hockey documentary recently, and Matthew Tkachuk talked about something his father used to tell him and his brother growing up:

"Skate hard and be a good teammate."

That's it. Two things. Simple advice that shaped two NHL careers.

It stuck with me, so I re-tooled it for my swimmers: "Work hard and be a good teammate."

I call this The Standard.

I've been saying this to my age groupers a lot lately. They're good kids, but they're still learning. They fuss at each other when someone messes up. They lose a relay in practice and point fingers. They get frustrated when things don't go their way.

Here's what The Standard means: showing up with effort and lifting others up. Encouraging someone who's struggling. Not making excuses when things get hard. Being reliable, even when no one's watching.

Work hard and be a good teammate.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY REDEFINING HOW ATHLETES AND TEAMS APPROACH ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT.

Move. Improve. Repeat.