 |
| Juniors Hallie Christopher (left) and Kristen Stanek during preseason, 2016 |
Hard work is a skill. Much like teaching a player to pass, run a slide, or close a block, hard work can be learned.
Sure, it's going to take a long time, but noticing daily, positive steps is a start: "Hey, I liked when you put extra effort into this." A new belief begins to form in the athlete's mind: "Oh, I must be someone who works hard."
You might not get through to everyone, but it beats the assumption that work ethic is innate.
(Note: hard work can be substituted with empathy, compassion, patience, or most other qualities we consider innate.)