THE POWER OF A WET TENNIS-BALL
“From the pine tree,
learn of the pine tree;
from the bamboo,
learn of the bamboo.”
A Zen proverb
I see
the entire Cricket-loving world around me going hysterical over Team India’s
performance in the ongoing World Cup – and, particularly on watching the
terrific display of bat by Virat Kohli
and mesmerizing spell of bowling by Mohammed Shami in the Semi Finals…
“Why not?” Yes,
why not the world around me and I celebrate what is worth celebrating? Why not
heap praise on those who deserve it?
So, I, too, am
still not done with this hysteria… The Kohli’s bat and Shami’s bowl still keep
me awake… Yes, Sir, they do.
But, in the
midst of all this hysteria, my thoughts go to one quiet and composed man, who is
the head coach of these Gladiators of a team – Rahul Dravid…
The deep seas
are always quiet, you see. Rahul Dravid – ‘The Wall’ – has been always so… And,
I have always loved and admired him for that…
As
a teacher of young college-kids, every year, I get to teach a couple of gifted boys
and girls, who, like a Virat Kohli, a Mohammed Shami, a Neeraj Chopra, a Mary Kom, a Sania Mirza – are busy pursuing a dream to be stars in their respective sports – Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Football, Table Tennis, or Athletics… They play at
different levels… They cannot attend lectures in their colleges or classes… They
cannot attend the parties and fun activities which their friends do… They and
their parents have to go through this ceaseless anxiety in them: “Will it ever happen?”…
I mean, “Will a Dravid or a Sania ever become what they aspire to be?”
It has never
been easy for any young kid to make it to the top in any sport. Talent alone doesn’t
help them… Discipline alone doesn’t help them, either… And, I won’t talk about
Luck. Maybe, all of them, with God’s grace and loved-ones' support, do.
I know, that God
helps only those who help themselves… Yes, I know. So, I, too, keep hammering
this truth into every young kid who aspires to excel in his/her sport… or in
any field, for that matter.
Talent, discipline,
ambition, hard work, patience, perseverance, determination, resilience, mental
toughness, and ability to adjust with people and situations – yes, these have
to be in place, before loved ones and God come to help…
The fire in the
belly means fire in your own belly, Honey!
Almost every
sports star – particularly the ones from Cricket – have an inspiring story to
share. Many of them have extremely-humble background… They have
done it with tremendous amount of determination, perseverance and hard work. In
me, frankly, this side of their story causes hysteria… Not the ‘glory’…
The glory goes…
Not the story!
In
2013, Rahul Dravid was invited to be the Chief Guest at the graduating ceremony
of BITS-Pilani (Goa campus). In the short speech he had delivered before the fresh
graduates, Dravid had shared several insights into success in life. Among these was
the popular story of ‘The Chinese Bamboo’. Ever since I first heard this story
from Dravid’s speech, I have incorporated it in my own 'everyday speech' to my own
young Dravids… “Sweethearts, the legendary Chinese Bamboo doesn’t grow ninety-foot tall in six weeks… It does in five years and six weeks.”
That’s a
powerful story. In this Blog, I thought of talking about it - and this quiet and composed man, Rahul Dravid – before the hysteria would end…
Yes, one last
time: “The glory goes… Not the story.”
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic’s: 1. www.ibtimes.co.in 2. Pixabay
Video: ConquestIITJEE
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