I'm not a huge sports fan, but when Harvard comes west, I love to root for them. Harvard is generally the
underdog, with bad weather, a lighter practice schedule, and no scholarship budget. When Bob played on the baseball team, they were handily crushed by teams like UC Riverside, and then further humiliated in the locker room where their spring break sunburns really stood out against the bronzed goods of the University of California jocks.
So victory is sweet when we get it. And we got it this week, as Harvard dominated against UC Berkeley. Cal guys are bigger, stronger and better looking basketball players, but Harvard gained an early lead and kept it for the entire game. Why? Cal was trying to get points, while Harvard focused on winning the game. There were some great, showy points scored by Cal players. But Harvard was patient, stuck to the plan and had obviously practiced their key plays a lot. Most Harvard players aren't tall enough to dunk, but every one of them could sink a 3 pointer–and that's a result of practice.
Great reminder for all of us as we enter the new year. We can be the Davids who beat Goliath. We just need to be prepared, disciplined and focused on winning rather than just scoring showy points.
In 2013, I hope we all remember this lesson, and focus on doing the best we can, with focus and care–and not let the showboaters intimidated us.
