I saw this on http://cathexis.posterous.com/ March
15,
2010
The exact point of contact, physical and psychological, between man and his sport. That is where the game is. In the bleeding, broken hands refusing to let go because there's still time on the clock, time for one more play. That is the test. This measure of commitment and wherewithal of mind and body. It is not on the scoreboard or in the victory lane. Those illustrations exist only to make the game easier to understand from the bleachers, from living rooms, from the outside looking in. Only when we get close do we learn where the the game is truly played. It is in this intimacy that takes us past the mano a mano, through the obvious battles with gravity, speed, and the elements, to expose the vulnerabilities alongside the victories. And it is here that we discover one simple truth about competition: In sport as in life, the real opponent, the only real enemy, is within. "don't let your fears stand in the ways of your dreams" rick bolton and jim hancock. No Fear, 1995