Building character to become a better athlete

I came across a tweet from Jordan Burroughs the other day that really struck a chord with me. Who is Jordan Burroughs you might ask? How about an Olympic champion wrestler who also holds two NCAA championships, three Big 12 champions, and more gold medals across various national and international competitions than I can even count. All athletes can be tough in their own way, but wrestlers, they’re a different breed. So when someone as accomplished as Jordan Burroughs speaks up about building character as an athlete, you should listen.

Here is what he said:

“Sure your son is competitive. But is he reliable? Is he kind? Is he coachable? Will he be a good teammate?...Let’s not just be great in skill, but also in character.”

What a great statement! When I founded Major League Mindset, my goal was to build a program to help athletes master skills that are often neglected by coaches whom are laser focused on results without understanding all of the things necessary to *build* an elite athlete, or simply to become the best version of yourself. That is exactly why I made Humility Chapter 1 in the Fully Equipped Playbook I wrote when I retired from MLB in 2020.

Why start there? Because building character is the foundation for *everything* that you do as an athlete and as a person. Think about the type of person you want to be. Do you want the best thing that someone can say about you to be that you had a good batting average? People remember the way that you treat them and how you made them feel. It seems so simple, but here are four things that you can do EVERY DAY to make yourself a better player and teammate:

1. Show Up

• This should be the minimum and a matter of courtesy as a human being. Show up when you say and be impeccable with your word. If you don’t do that then your coaches, teachers, employers, are less likely to trust you and it’s extremely hard to earn that trust back. On the flip side, if you do show up and do what you said you would do, you will gain trust (from others and YOURSELF) and be given the benefit of the doubt when (not if!) tough situations arise.

2. Be Kind

• Listen, sometimes it can be tough to keep your emotions in check in a competitive environment. Sometimes we say and do things in the heat of the moment. That’s ok. Just be aware of it, make sure to make amends when it happens and try to respond differently in similar situations in the future to prevent them. Do your best to treat others like you want to be treated including coaches, teammates, umpires, and especially your parents!

3. Be Coachable

• Believe it or not, you can learn a lot by listening! Sometimes it’s difficult not to take things personally, but in the end the coach’s job is to try and improve the team by making *you* better. When a coach talks to you about something in your game that you can improve, don’t get down on yourself. Have the humility to understand that nobody is perfect, and think of it as an opportunity to get better. Your coach will see this and spend more time helping you iron out the weaknesses in your game and rely on you as a team leader.

4. Be a Good Teammate

• Regardless if you’re the first one written on the lineup card every day or your glove has been gathering cobwebs, this advice is the same for all athletes. Be an example for the others on the team. Show up, work hard, be coachable. If you see a teammate in trouble, reach out and see if there is anything you can do to help. Encourage your teammates when they succeed and help lift them up when they’re down. It will not go unnoticed. Make yourself someone that others want to be around. Not only will you increase your chances of making a team, you’ll have built an important life skill that goes way beyond the sports realm.

Humility and character building are absolutely critical to help you reach your full potential. Make sure to question and challenge yourself about the points above, and use the tips to help build yourself up to being a coachable, good teammate. Make yourself someone that your fellow players and coaches want to be around, and it will open doors for you as well as keep them open a bit longer when you may be in need of the benefit of the doubt.