Coach Thrasher

Regretting a Quit

I received an email today from a former athlete of mine. The person was a really great athlete, and a really great personality on the team. They were a team player in nearly all respects, respected by everyone, and the athlete was one of the fastest people in the boat. But the person ended up leaving the team for other pursuits, unrelated to sports. Now, in their email, they've come to terms with the decisions that have been made, and they're getting back on track in life. Unfortunately they realized the mistake too late to make a difference for their boat.

It sounds so dramatic! I'm heartbroken of the lost potential. It's especially painful to know that the person regrets their decision. There is no turning back the clock. What can be done?

This has to be one of those life lessons that must be learned from raw experience. I wish the best for anyone that comes out for rowing, gives it their all, and decides to do otherwise. I hope at least a small lesson can be taken away. In this case, I think it was a very big lesson. It hurts to know the difference.

This also reminds me of so many instances of people I've worked with that quit their job, or their "team" in the workplace here in Silicon Valley, to try something new, and then regretted it later. Without taking that risk, without trying something new, they would have never known the difference. So the big take away, the big lesson learned is: take the risks! But please learn not to repeat the mistakes.

Posted at 09:23PM May 01, 2006 by jason in General  |  Comments[0]