The 800 pound Gorilla
The Comstock Divas
The 800 pound Gorilla
By Bruce Lindsay
Last year I coached my 7-year old daughter’s soccer team. We were the Comstock Divas, sponsored by Comstock Funeral Home. But don’t let that name fool you, we had some tough girls on our team. One such girl was named Taylor. This is a story of how one little girl changed my life, and might just change yours.
Taylor was a typical 7 year old girl, maybe a little cuter than most. She had great big chubby cheeks, and when she smiled, her cheeks went up so high her eyes disappeared. You could see she was already missing her 2 front teeth.
It was early in the season, on a muddy field, and it was Taylor’s turn to be goalie. So she put on the goalie shirt and stood in net where I told her to stand (about 6 steps out from the goal line so she was ready to challenge the other players as they came toward her). All the other girls took a ball and ran out onto the field, where they would take turns running in toward Taylor and taking a shot, to get her warmed up. And one after another it was: goal... goal... goal... goal and another goal. I was thinking, “Oh dear. This just might be a disaster.”
Taylor would start out where I told her to stand, but when the player ran towards her, she would back away. Backing away, backing away, until she was right on the goal line. Then she would look to her right and left at the goal posts. When she turned away, of course, that’s when the shot would come and it would beat her every time.
I only had a minute. The game was about to start. I ran over and said, “Taylor it seems like you’re nervous. But I know you can do this. You’re tough. You’re not afraid of the ball are you?"
She said, “No, it’s the other players that make me nervous when they’re running towards me.”
I said, “I understand, but you can’t let them make you nervous. Instead you have to make them nervous. The only way to do that is to go out and attack them. Get right in their face! Growl at them! GRRAAAAAA! Let the monster come out of you! You have to be an 800-pound gorilla! If you can do that, they will be nervous. Then, when they shoot, it will either come right to you or it will totally miss the net!
“Do you think you can play real tough like that?”
Not quite convinced, she answered, “Um… O K.”
We started the game and sure enough within 2 minutes our defense broke down and one of their players was running straight to our goal. To my surprise, Taylor ran out to attack her. The girl got flustered. She kicked the ball and she totally missed the net.
I shouted over, “Way to go Taylor! You are the 800-pound gorilla! We have a good goalie playing tonight!”
She smiled her big smile. Taylor.
It happened again just a few minutes later. Another girl broke through our defense and this girl was FAST! I could tell she knew what to do with the ball. But Taylor had some confidence now. She ran out to attack and this time I swear I heard her growl. GRRRR!
The shot came, hard. It hit Taylor right in the guts. She was knocked backwards and fell hard into the mud… and she didn’t get up!
The referee blew the whistle and I ran over to help. Taylor looked up at me with tears in her eyes, and with her voice quivering, said, “THAT HURT!”
I helped her up, brushed some of the mud off her and said. “I know. I could tell. And I guess I forgot to tell you about that part. Sometimes, when you go out and attack these players, you could get hurt. Soccer is a rough game and every game some of our girls are going to get scratched up and muddy, bruised and even bloody. But I’ll tell you a secret. It doesn’t hurt as bad when you win. And if you keep playing the way you’ve been playing, we’re going to WIN!
“Do you think you can keep on playing tough like you’ve been playing?”
With a determined face, through tears, she answered, “Um… O K.”
She kept on playing tough and we won that game 2-0. Taylor was named the Most Valuable Player. At the end of the game, all the girls came around and I said, “I want everyone to remember the lesson Taylor learned tonight. If there’s something making you nervous, you have to attack it, like an 800 pound gorilla, and you can beat it!” We did our cheer and everyone went home happy. End of story.
Or so I thought.
I got in the car, my daughter jumped in the back seat, my father-in-law, Murray, sat in the passenger seat. He’d come along just to watch the game and cheer on his grand-daughter. He said, “Well Bruce? Are you ready to go home and attack the bathroom?”
For the past 2 months I had been planning to renovate my bathroom. I had everything I needed to start, I just hadn’t started. I don’t like renovating projects. They always cost more than I expect, take more time and work than I expect, and whenever I use power-tools, I hurt myself.
He said, “I heard what you said to those girls, about attacking their problems? The bathroom is your problem, and you need to attack it!”
And my daughter, pipes up from the back seat, “Yeah Dad! Like an 800 pound gorilla!”
I don’t like it when people use things I say to make me do things I don’t want to do. But I knew they were right, so, (with an unsteady voice, and tears in my eyes) I said, “Um… O K.”
We attacked that bathroom starting the next day. I became the 800 pound gorilla. And for the next 2 weeks I was up to my ears in plaster and dust and drywall, and tile and grout and paint and blood! Yes I hurt myself. Stupid power-tools!
But then it was finished, and it looked lovely. I’m so glad I did it. It taught me that this lesson is not just about soccer or goaltending or sports. It’s about life.
We all have problems. Some of them are big. Some of them make us nervous. And some of them, we know, could hurt us. It’s natural for us to back away from those things. To turn away. We say things like, “Oh I just don’t think I can deal with that right now. That problem is too big for me. I can’t do it. I can’t.” But when we act like that, our problems will beat us every time!
Don’t let them beat you. Don’t back away. Don’t turn away. Remember little Taylor. Attack your problems! Face them and face them head-on. You have to be the 800-pound gorilla!
Now let me hear your growl!
The 800 pound GorillaBy Bruce Lindsay
Last year I coached my 7-year old daughter’s soccer team. We were the Comstock Divas, sponsored by Comstock Funeral Home. But don’t let that name fool you, we had some tough girls on our team. One such girl was named Taylor. This is a story of how one little girl changed my life, and might just change yours.
Taylor was a typical 7 year old girl, maybe a little cuter than most. She had great big chubby cheeks, and when she smiled, her cheeks went up so high her eyes disappeared. You could see she was already missing her 2 front teeth.
It was early in the season, on a muddy field, and it was Taylor’s turn to be goalie. So she put on the goalie shirt and stood in net where I told her to stand (about 6 steps out from the goal line so she was ready to challenge the other players as they came toward her). All the other girls took a ball and ran out onto the field, where they would take turns running in toward Taylor and taking a shot, to get her warmed up. And one after another it was: goal... goal... goal... goal and another goal. I was thinking, “Oh dear. This just might be a disaster.”
Taylor would start out where I told her to stand, but when the player ran towards her, she would back away. Backing away, backing away, until she was right on the goal line. Then she would look to her right and left at the goal posts. When she turned away, of course, that’s when the shot would come and it would beat her every time.
I only had a minute. The game was about to start. I ran over and said, “Taylor it seems like you’re nervous. But I know you can do this. You’re tough. You’re not afraid of the ball are you?"
She said, “No, it’s the other players that make me nervous when they’re running towards me.”
I said, “I understand, but you can’t let them make you nervous. Instead you have to make them nervous. The only way to do that is to go out and attack them. Get right in their face! Growl at them! GRRAAAAAA! Let the monster come out of you! You have to be an 800-pound gorilla! If you can do that, they will be nervous. Then, when they shoot, it will either come right to you or it will totally miss the net!
“Do you think you can play real tough like that?”
Not quite convinced, she answered, “Um… O K.”
We started the game and sure enough within 2 minutes our defense broke down and one of their players was running straight to our goal. To my surprise, Taylor ran out to attack her. The girl got flustered. She kicked the ball and she totally missed the net.
I shouted over, “Way to go Taylor! You are the 800-pound gorilla! We have a good goalie playing tonight!”
She smiled her big smile. Taylor.
It happened again just a few minutes later. Another girl broke through our defense and this girl was FAST! I could tell she knew what to do with the ball. But Taylor had some confidence now. She ran out to attack and this time I swear I heard her growl. GRRRR!
The shot came, hard. It hit Taylor right in the guts. She was knocked backwards and fell hard into the mud… and she didn’t get up!
The referee blew the whistle and I ran over to help. Taylor looked up at me with tears in her eyes, and with her voice quivering, said, “THAT HURT!”
I helped her up, brushed some of the mud off her and said. “I know. I could tell. And I guess I forgot to tell you about that part. Sometimes, when you go out and attack these players, you could get hurt. Soccer is a rough game and every game some of our girls are going to get scratched up and muddy, bruised and even bloody. But I’ll tell you a secret. It doesn’t hurt as bad when you win. And if you keep playing the way you’ve been playing, we’re going to WIN!
“Do you think you can keep on playing tough like you’ve been playing?”
With a determined face, through tears, she answered, “Um… O K.”
She kept on playing tough and we won that game 2-0. Taylor was named the Most Valuable Player. At the end of the game, all the girls came around and I said, “I want everyone to remember the lesson Taylor learned tonight. If there’s something making you nervous, you have to attack it, like an 800 pound gorilla, and you can beat it!” We did our cheer and everyone went home happy. End of story.
Or so I thought.
I got in the car, my daughter jumped in the back seat, my father-in-law, Murray, sat in the passenger seat. He’d come along just to watch the game and cheer on his grand-daughter. He said, “Well Bruce? Are you ready to go home and attack the bathroom?”
For the past 2 months I had been planning to renovate my bathroom. I had everything I needed to start, I just hadn’t started. I don’t like renovating projects. They always cost more than I expect, take more time and work than I expect, and whenever I use power-tools, I hurt myself.
He said, “I heard what you said to those girls, about attacking their problems? The bathroom is your problem, and you need to attack it!”
And my daughter, pipes up from the back seat, “Yeah Dad! Like an 800 pound gorilla!”
I don’t like it when people use things I say to make me do things I don’t want to do. But I knew they were right, so, (with an unsteady voice, and tears in my eyes) I said, “Um… O K.”
We attacked that bathroom starting the next day. I became the 800 pound gorilla. And for the next 2 weeks I was up to my ears in plaster and dust and drywall, and tile and grout and paint and blood! Yes I hurt myself. Stupid power-tools!
But then it was finished, and it looked lovely. I’m so glad I did it. It taught me that this lesson is not just about soccer or goaltending or sports. It’s about life.
We all have problems. Some of them are big. Some of them make us nervous. And some of them, we know, could hurt us. It’s natural for us to back away from those things. To turn away. We say things like, “Oh I just don’t think I can deal with that right now. That problem is too big for me. I can’t do it. I can’t.” But when we act like that, our problems will beat us every time!
Don’t let them beat you. Don’t back away. Don’t turn away. Remember little Taylor. Attack your problems! Face them and face them head-on. You have to be the 800-pound gorilla!
Now let me hear your growl!
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Sunday, February 03, 2008
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