Will You Run In The Last Quarter?
This year I agreed to coach my son’s soccer team – U8. A few weeks back my team played on a hot Saturday morning. My team was winning. Actually, we were “creaming” the other team. However, at the end of the third quarter my team slowed down. We kicked the ball back to the other field half with no real follow-through. No hustle. Now, in soccer the game isn’t over until it’s over. If your team doesn’t focus from the first to the last minute, then strange things can happen. For example, the other team can get a second wind. Next thing you know, you loose the game in the last minute. I pulled them together at the last break, “We will win this! You need to hustle though. Challenge the ball when the other team has it. Run down field, when we are in possession. We have fifteen more minutes to go. Will you run in the last quarter?” They nodded their heads, but their sweaty, red faces showed no excitement about these words. Didn’t they just run for three quarters? Were they not winning? Isn’t this easy for a coach to say? He doesn’t have to run. However, they listened and followed through. We won the game.
It’s Memorial Day weekend. Time for a little reflection. Strangely enough, I find myself in the same position again. This time it’s not about soccer. It’s about Toastmasters. I am dealing with adults. The District report shows that Division H is President’s Distinguished. That’s great, but I don’t feel we are done yet. I don’t want to kick back the ball into the other half without follow-through and without hustle for the remainder of the season. We have thirty more days to go. We can accomplish much more. It’s too early for the final thank yous and the wrap-up note. You will get my final report on June 30, 2010.
As an officer at the club or area level you can make a difference in the next thirty days. Here are some suggestions:
1. Are there members who are one, two or three speeches away from completing a Competent Communicator (CC) or an Advanced Communicator (AC) ? Encourage them. Help them with speech ideas. Help them finding speech opportunities beyond your club if need be. .
2. By now you have received the names of those people in your club who didn’t renew. Your club has seven officers. If each of you calls three people, you can reach out to twenty one members without breaking a sweat.
3. Minimally, make sure that your club has voted on the next slate of officers. Organize the hand-off between the outgoing and the incoming officers. Send the officer list to Toastmasters International by June 30, 2010. If your club has twelve or less members, then get a coach who helps you to get back on track.
In soccer, the true quality of a player shows in the last quarter. Your legs hurt. You got kicked a few times. You are dehydrated and feel tired. What kind of player are you? Will you run in the last quarter to finish the game strong? Or will you kick the ball in the other half letting the other players run? At the end, whatever you decide, you are the only person who has to live with that decision. Take a look at some of the most impressive clutch performances of teams scoring the winning goals in the last few minutes of the game. Then you know what I mean.
If your club is four members away from being Distinguished, you have thirty days to close that gap. It’s possible. Of course you can let it slide. You might regret this decision on July 1, 2010. Then it is too late, but I am sure this feeling will fade away over time. On the other side, hustling down those four members will create a long lasting memory. You will never forget this in your life. The same goes for that last CC or AC you are missing to close the gap to make it to Distinguished, Select Distinguished or President’s Distinguished. Do it for yourself. Set an example.
On a personal note, let me tell you where I stand on this issue. I earned my DTM in the summer of last year. Luckily, I have the opportunity to practice public speaking in my professional life a lot. Certainly, I don’t need the educational credits personally. However, in early May of this year I finished my second CC. Looking at the District report I said to myself, “Boy! We sure can use some more CCs”. Right away, I decided to go for another one. Yesterday, I finished my seventh speech on that third CC. In the next thirty days, I will complete my three remaining speeches. I will run in the last quarter. Will you?
