Bravo Trey, but you leave out the most important quality, one that is VERY
difficult to teach or to learn because it is a personality trait and not
knowledge, data, or information. In all sports, the desire to win is very
important.
The desire to prepare to win is MUCH more important. Most of us have the
former. Few of us, REALLY, have the latter because it requires such focus,
dedication, hard work, and sacrifice that the means becomes too difficult,
too time consuming, too tiring, too stressful. For those who love the game,
the stress is mainly eu-stress, but stress nonetheless. For the rest of us,
it becomes dis-stress.
To use just one of Trey's examples- "Know the code. 50 WPM conversational is
a nice milestone --" And the example of myself- Yes, I'd like to be a
major league CW contester, and I probably have the ability to know the code
at 50 WPM. Do I have the motivation to practice, practice, practice... No!
I've been good enough, but never world class, in foot races, cross country
ski competition, coaching, birding, poetry, and radiosports, good enough
that is, to meet and rub shoulders with some of the best. There's not much
difference between the world class chess player, marathon runner, or
radiosport, to use just three examples. The territory is different, but not
the personal qualities required to master the territory.
The reason there are no secrets is because expertise is far more experiential
than intellectual. Or as we say, the map is not the territory.
As a coach, in my attempt to facilitate "desire", I often quote a famous
athlete, "There are two kinds of athletes, those who make committments and
those who make excuses. Which are you?" For 10 years I was pretty darn
close to the committed athlete, and it's an exhilarating experience, but also
a limiting one. This is one reason why many of us choose (or at least
rationalize) to not make the commitment. Also, this commitment is, by
definition, a selfish experience (selling fish is not a negative, just a
another example of limitation).
Becoming world class starts with a love affair. Joseph Campell exorted us
all to-
"follow your bliss." Some few who do become the heros or sheros that inspire
us all.
Excuse my incoherance tonight. I'm tired. Like most of us, I have a split
commitment. Today, I ran 15 miles so that I'd meet my training objective and
still be able to devote my exercise-free weekend to the 160M contest if I can
find the commitment to stay up all night two nights in a row. For the world
class, there would be no "if."
73, Doug W2CRS Colorado
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