Topic #15 “Determination” by Coach Sean Cowick
Determination is defined as resolution or the act of fixing or setting a purpose. In Chapter 2 of CEO Strength Coach, Ron McKeefery defines determination as making goals and dedicating all his mind and body to his cause. Coach McKeefery’s goal was to get a Graduate Assistantship with a major Division I school. There were many struggles and obstacles he faced, but through sheer willpower and faith, Coach McKeefery persevered.. I will be discussing his journey, as well as how we can all relate to Coach McKeefery’s situation in one way or another.
First, let’s discuss Coach McKeefery’s goal and his probability of success. There are 347 NCAA Division 1 schools in the United States. And there are thousands of Strength and Conditioning coaches currently practicing in the United States. Many people apply to be a S&C coach with hundreds of letters and resumes sent for each open position. This means as many as 90% of aspiring coaches would left out of a potential position. Thus, Coach McKeefery had a disadvantage from the beginning. He even states that he applied to over 200 colleges and professional organizations, attempting to land an assistantship. What he received was over 100 rejections, but what made him so determined was that instead of throwing the rejection letters away, he kept them for the future. He made a board, showing where he had applied, their response, and also made sure to respond back to every one of them. That is a determined person who wanted to leave a good impression and represent himself well. He wanted any potential employer to know about his professionalism and although he was rejected, he never gave up trying.
Eventually, his letters paid off and he received not only an acceptance letter, but an offer. The offer came from the Major League Baseball organization, the Kansas City Royals. It was not what he initially wanted but it was a chance to get his foot in the door and build on his resume. Unfortunately, the coach who was going to hire him was transferred to a different professional team, but that did not stop him. Instead, the Royals coach redirected him to another coach, Strength Coach Tim Maxey. He knew there was no guarantee of working for him, but again he took the opportunity and called him. This move led to a meeting with Coach Maxey at the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) Sport Specific Conference. There Coach McKeefery was able to persuade Coach Maxey for an interview and chance to gain experience in a position coaching with him. Coach McKeefery buckled down and studied relentlessly, applying himself with strength and conditioning knowledge and interview questions. He wanted to make sure he showed confidence, knowledge and determination to succeed and prevail in his profession. Coach McKeefery received his interview and received the assistantship with the new Royals Strength Coach. This opportunity was not given to him, he earned it and got it! When a person wants something bad enough, that person will do anything to get to it.
I do not believe I could completely relate to Coach McKeefery’s struggles. I can see that during this time of Coach McKeefery’s career, he had no job, he had a wife working 2 jobs just to keep the roof over their head. The assistantship with the Royals was unpaid and was 4 months long with long hours. It would have taken extreme dedication to be willing to endure this hardship. The hardest thing I ever went through was my time in the military. I am referring to my basic training, probably one of the biggest hardships in my life. When I joined the United States Marines, it had a 13-14 week bootcamp.
It takes determination to become a Marine
The entire process was meant to break a person down and remodel the mind and body into what the military needed. The only communication I had with the outside world was writing letters to my family and friends back home in North Carolina. I was training in the summer time at Parris Island, South Carolina, and the heat during the summer would drive anyone crazy! The constant yelling from superiors, running, drilling, and drill instructor “games” to test our mind, body and patience, were a daily thing. The only thing that drove me forward was receiving the honor of being a Marine and making it back home to my family and friends. There was no way to leave bootcamp, because once you signed the contract with the government, they owned you. So if you didn’t pass the 13-14 week training, you would stay there until you did, no matter how long it took. It took me a lot of willpower and perseverance to succeed through this hardship. That is what @RMcKeefery had to do to get a job, and that is what I had to do to become a Marine.
I want the reader to remember this, the future is always uncertain, but if you want something, you can’t be afraid of failure. Failure is part of growing. Without failure, we as people would never learn from past mistakes. In Coach McKeefery’s case, he was unsuccessful for awhile before the opportunity came to him. When the opportunity came, he took advantage of it and made it a great experience! He was ready and responded in a timely fashion; he gave respect to others, but most of all he never gave up, even after many rejections. Everyone will experience some kind of hardship in their life, but maintaining your determination to proceed and struggle through it can make all the difference in the end.
By Sean Cowick, BS, ACE Personal Trainer at Fitness Connection and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Cardinal Gibbions High School
“The views, opinions, and judgments expressed in this message are solely those of the authors and peer reviewers. The contents have been reviewed by a team of contributors but not approved by any other outside entity including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.”
