You Can Be a Pro Today
- Lucas Franco de Siqueira
- Feb 29, 2016
- 2 min read
Mario Pinto is a friend of mine that just scored his first goal as a professional soccer player. We were rivals when playing collegiate football, and became teammates while playing in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), in the summer of 2015. I couldn`t be happier for the guy!
Many familiar friends, former teammates, and fans were going crazy on social media sharing “Mario’s first professional goal”. Although I was really happy, I could not see it that way.
For me, every goal that Mario had scored before were just as professional and legit as this last one! One contract did not make the difference.
In other words, Mario has been a professional for a while; it was not a contract that changed him from amateur to top class. We wish that a piece of paper had that power…
How Was Mario A Professional Even Though He Did Not Have a Pro Contract?
It is simple! It is not a signature that made the difference.
Mario has been intentionally working hard on his “craft” day in and day out regardless the level that he was playing. He made a decision every day to be consistent and persistent regardless how he felt; that is being a Pro!
He traveled to countless places to try-out. He trained in unreal nice facilities as well as sidewalks, backyards, and horrible fields. He played Sunday league with the same intensity and commitment of when he played to increase his scholarship in college. That is being a Pro!
He worked extra when no one was looking; he called agents when no one could help, and he played injured when he did not have to. That is a Pro!
A pro, to be clear, is an attitude and not a contract. A pro decides to take control of his growth and development. A pro is too focused on the process and has no time to think about titles.
Forget The Pro Contract, And Become a Pro.
Since being a pro is an attitude, how can you exercise that and ignore the contract? How can you forget what validates your status to the world?
Simple again, focus on controllables. Concentrate on deliberate practice, in working areas that need growth, in having emotional control when you make mistakes. Eyes on the process, not on outcomes!
If you shift your perspective from what a pro looks like to the world (contracts, salaries, and media) to having a pro attitude, ironically the chances of you getting all of that increases. It becomes a natural consequence of who you are.
That is what happened to Mario, and if you want badly enough, it can happen to you too.
The goal that made me write this post is in the highlights below. Exactly at 2min30sec.
If you want to know a little bit more about Mario read this article - Mario on NPSL
Comments