Every day in camp is a difficult day because you worry whether or not you're going to get it right. You worry - or I do, at least - whether or not you're going to live up to the trust as the trainer that the fighter gave you when he asked you to train him.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the challenges and pressures that come with the responsibility of training others.
Teddy Atlas emphasizes the weight of responsibility that trainers feel towards their fighters. Every day brings its own challenges, and the trainer constantly worries about meeting the expectations and trust that the fighter has placed in them. This can lead to a significant internal struggle to perform well and support the fighter's journey, highlighting the emotional investment and commitment involved in mentorship.
In practice
A coach might say this quote during a team meeting to emphasize the importance of trust between players and trainers.
I often say to the athletes, that I know about their 'neon skills' - the ones that light up and make them easily recognizable. The power of a fighter, the finesse, the agility, the legs, the quickness. But what about being steady, or being dependable? These are more important traits.
The worst thing is for a fighter to be in the ring with no hope - where he's missing and getting caught. You need to have hope.
If we have anything in common as humans it's the instinct to survive. When you go in the ring you are going against that instinct. You're running into conflict instead of away from That's when the complexity really begins.
You're not in a fight until there's pressure. Resistance. Overcoming something. Otherwise, it's just an exhibition.
I was 14 when I placed a bet on Muhammad Ali to beat Joe Frazier in their first fight. There was something magical about Ali, like the first time I heard Ray Charles sing 'America The Beautiful' or Louie Armstrong blow the trumpet - feeling as if they could influence the cosmos, make anything right when they performed.
It does not matter who is stronger or more aggressive or even throws harder punches. All that matters is what lands.
I'd made it this far and refused to give up because all my life I had always finished the race.
I have always liked running, so it wasn't particularly difficult to make it a habit. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you can do it anywhere. It does not require anybody to do it with, and so I found the sport perfectly fits me as a person who tends to be independent and individualistic.
As a kid I always idolized the winning athletes. It is one thing to idolize heroes. It is quite another to visualize yourself in their place. When I saw great people, I said to myself: I can be there.
If you're not going to be rewarded for your virtues, and instead you're going to be punished for them, then what's your motivation to continue?
Always know your merit and how special you are, and don't let someone else's qualifications make you feel small. If you stick to this, you will always deserve their respect.
You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow.
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