Cal Who?

Earlier this week, to the shock and chagrin of many of my classmates, I announced that I did not know who Cal Ripken Jr. was. Peers would try to explain his accomplishments by saying things like, “He’s the ‘Iron Man’ of baseball,” or “He played 2,632 consecutive games,” neither of which contextualized his fame for me.

I blame this ignorance on my innate Canadian lack of knowledge concerning baseball, a primarily American sport, but, surprisingly, my ignorance did not impede my enjoyment of Ripken’s lecture. The content of his talk was highly motivational and applicable to all listeners, whether or not they happened to be baseball fans. If any person was qualified to speak about perseverance, it was Cal Ripken Jr. When I realized the incredible endurance required to play essentially one game per day for 162 days over the course of 19 years, I was dumbfounded. I struggle to attend classes for that many consecutive days, let alone physically exert myself! Ripken’s credibility in the area of endurance piqued my interest in his speech topic, namely the 8 requirements to being successful. These requirements seemed commonsensical and included things such as the right approach, the will to succeed, passion, competitiveness, consistency, conviction, strength, and life management. What I did not expect from Ripken’s talk, however, was his affability, humor and apparent passion for the game. It was clear that he truly believed in the principles he professed and was not merely interested in receiving some cash and accolades from a multitude of former fans. Another aspect of his lecture that surprised me was his focus on life management. He said something that I do not think I will ever forget, “Some people say that you shouldn’t worry about things that are beyond your control...I would like to challenge that. What can you do to help control things?” He then followed up with an example of a situation in which he took preemptive action in his life to manage unknown circumstances. This subject greatly encouraged me. Often I become disheartened because of unknown future outcomes or situations in my life, and I try and tell myself, “Don’t worry about it.” But Cal Ripken Jr. provided me with an alternative - to rather ask myself, “What positive actions can you take instead of worrying?” Immediately after the lecture I began thinking about graduate school preparations and I remembered this advice; already I feel as if I have benefited from Ripken’s motivational speech.

Despite my lack of knowledge about baseball, consecutive games, or the Iron Man, I thoroughly enjoyed Cal Ripken Jr.’s presentation. It seems that sport provide an excellent metaphor for the struggles and victories of life.