Saturday night, Doug and I stayed in to watch the NCAA Final Four. Doug has the Florida Gators Men’s Basketball to win it all, so of course I was rooting for them—although I knew nothing about the Gators before the 6 pm tip-off. The game was incredibly exciting, with Florida down by 8 at the half, and it wasn’t looking so good for them.

But…it was Walter Clayton Jr., the Gator, who stole the show. He had 34 points that night, which is mind-blowing at any level, and he averages 88% at the free-throw line—or as one of the broadcasters called it, “The charity stripe.” It may be “free” or it may be “charity,” but it’s very often where accomplished basketball players go to choke. There is an added level of pressure in this situation, forgetting for a moment that the NCAA championship berth is on the line, with the entire stadium watching you trying to execute this shot(s). Energetically, there are two questions: “Are you confident? And are you relaxed?”

Watching Clayton Jr. play the other night reminded me so much of Patrick Mahomes. There’s this playfulness in both of them that seems to rise above the pressure—even in the biggest of games. Yes, they’re both incredibly talented, but it’s more than that. There’s a joy in how they play that keeps the stress at bay. You can see it—it’s like choking isn’t even on the table. If you’re watching tonight, look for it. And if you want to know how this applies to you and me—when the FUN is gone, stress, pressure, and fear show up. We all want to be confident, but maybe we should look for the fun first. Maybe confidence follows fun—not the other way around.

Let’s GO!! WE GOT THIS!
Beth Fitzgerald