Probably, a lot of people value you and have valued you (then you end up doing something similar to yourself) in absolute and polarized value, for example:

worthy or not worthy;

you are very good or you are not at all;

you have X skills so you are that type of player or person

you are not performing well, so maybe you are not good enough

 

The list could be endless. This is a problem, because who believe in you, they will expect you maximum performance (with the skills which they assume you have) anywhere, anytime in any situation, and if after a while you do not show what they expected, some of them will change to:

“Oh, that one is nothing”

“Not worth!”

“What a bluff”

“Such a loser”

 

Fuck Off! That’s how clear I tell you.

Photo: Behind the Athlete

If you are not going to consider the context, then you are cheating.

Context influences more than we think. Every athlete has some skills that can be improved with training, but all of this has to be developed and applied to a specific environment. Those who really trust your potential, should not do it because of what they have seen from you in a specific context, but should trust because they see what you have inside and the resources that you have to prove it (if you just have it inside and you are never going to show it, then it is useless) adapting yourself to a specific environment (or several).

If you are not going to consider the context, then you are cheating.

There is an issue because almost nobody tells you this at the beginning, so you have to recognize it by yourself and try to solve it, probably, with resources that you do not have. When you really accept that context matters and what could work in one place and one moment, may not work in another one, you value that it may not be easy, but in return, you will not lie to yourself, so it will start to become worthwhile. People will keep talking, in a better or worse way, that will never change, however, you will know who really trust you.

 

* Text extracted and adapted from a real conversation with a player.