Opportunity or Obligation?

This post is dedicated to anyone who has ever played college wheelchair basketball.

No matter who you are that simple question can be applied to many activities that we have to deal with in our everyday lives. Is having to drive your sick relative to the doctor an opportunity to spend time with them in a moment of need or is it a family obligation? Only you can decide what is the right answer for you.

I first came up with this theory when I was a student athlete playing wheelchair basketball at the University of Illinois. Is studying for that exam an opportunity to better yourself or an obligation to stay eligible? Is going to practice an opportunity to become a better player and person or is it an obligation to stay on the team?

Playing college wheelchair basketball and being a student is a unique and challenging task. I know I was exhausted for the vast majority of 2000 through 2004, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The experience made me tougher and more able to face life’s challenges after my days in Champaign were done.

I was once asked in grad school how I could possibly smile after several 80+ study hour weeks in a row. I replied “I get to sleep in every morning until 8!” I have a different view of the world thanks to getting up at 4:45 AM during my freshman year.

If someone finds themselves in the middle of this experience I would like to humbly submit some pieces of advice for consideration.

1. Always remember you are special and this experience is special. Playing college sports is a huge opportunity and playing wheelchair sports is extra special. You get to be around your peers in an unmatched way. This experience will broaden your horizons in immeasurable ways whether you are newly hurt or have been living with your disability your whole life. However this is not a given, you must be open to the opportunity and be willing to work for it.
2. Find a way to love your teammates even if you don’t always get along. I do not use the word love lightly. When you become part of a college team you become part of a family. Take the time and energy to get to know and appreciate all of your teammates. It is worth it in the long run and it will suit you well later on in life to be able to get along with a wide variety of people.
3. Always remember you are one team. Cliques are bad news and unnecessary, take the time and energy to reach out to everybody.
4. Look for the respect. I know things have changed in a few short years, but I know in my days we were frustrated by how little the university as a whole paid attention to us, but the respect was there. I was always surprised when I would get a complement out of the blue on how hard we worked from a football player who was a Big Ten champion or a college tennis All-American.

Take or leave my suggestions. I am nothing special. My career scoring total equaled great games for several players. I am still a work in progress, but look at people like Will Waller and Paul Schulte who made the most of their opportunities and now are All-Stars on all levels. They are great athletes, Paralympians and have wonderful careers that provide for their families. There is no big secret to their success. They spend the most amount of time in the gym and the office and they realize all the wonderful opportunities that have been presented to them.

I am one of the least talented people to ever put on a blue and orange jersey and I was on the verge of quitting at times, but one thing I never confused was what a wonderful opportunity I was being given by the universe. If I, a person with very little natural talent , can turn four years of being a student athlete into a masters degree from a world-renowned university and an opportunity to play for a legendary rugby program. What can you accomplish when you realize any time spent in a classroom or a gym is an opportunity and not an obligation?

Thanks for reading
Chris