Passion and Drive

I just read that "Michael Jordan's son retires from college basketball" and it got me thinking about motivation, drive, passion and commitment to your sport, craft and life. I think all too often as a parent of an athlete, we can't see clearly through the haze at our own children who have their own passions and that those passions may not match our parental expectations.

I remember reading something Cal Ripken wrote about how as a child his father never asked him to practice - that he was motivated from somewhere deep inside himself. It's hard as a parent to lay off, and I'm as guity as the next person in perhaps pushing my kids too far too fast in certain areas, but this story is a good reminder that talent and genes aren't enough. The opportunities Jeff Jordan refers to in the article are I'm sure related to his own passions and desires - and it's those very passions that will drive his commitment towards success in his life.

Outside of that, can you imagine being MJ's kid and trying to live up to that hype?