I am not particularly athletic. I was not chosen last for every team in elementary school, but I certainly was not in the top half of the draft either. I enjoy watching some sports but mostly the ones that allow me to sit outside and enjoy the day or evening. So, it should come as no surprise that I do not often read sports books.
And yet, I find myself recommending “The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life” by the award-winning sportswriter Sally Jenkins. Jenkins, daughter of another renowned sportswriter Dan Jenkins, grew up in the world of professional athletes. She has written for the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and ESPN and along the way she has interviewed some of the greatest athletes and coaches of our generation: Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Billie Jean King, Peyton Manning and Diana Nyad, among others.
In “The Right Call” Jenkins takes a step back from individual performances and asks, what qualities do great athletes share? What does it take to succeed at the top of your field? Because the principles that lead to greatness in professional sports can also lead to greatness in all fields of endeavor.
Jenkins is a gifted writer. Her book is divided into chapters for each of the seven commonalities she identifies in highly successful athletes: conditioning, practice, discipline, candor, culture, failure and intention. She cites many specific examples from her 40 year career as a sportswriter. It is fun to read stories about stars like Steph Curry, Tom Brady or surfer Laird Hamilton and to get a glimpse of what makes them who they are.
But what I found most intriguing is the idea that even a nonathlete has something to learn from these professionals. Great athletes or writers or teachers or business owners are not born great but work extremely hard to become the best that they can be. There is a quintessentially American message here: with hard work and discipline we can all be successful. We may not be Tom Brady or Michael Phelps but we can reach the pinnacle of our abilities. Why would we not want to strive for that?
"The Right Call" is an entertaining book but also thought provoking. It is the sort of book that you may want to reread more slowly to explore the applications in your own life. It makes a great graduation or Father's Day gift.
