Thank you, Mike Tyson

Coaches from any sport need to thank Mike Tyson for his recent video. He is with a sparring partner, showing incredible power, quickness, stamina, and reflex. The punches come with lightning-fast precision and leave anyone who watches wondering if Tyson might still be able to compete in the ring. In fact, he looks like he might be in the best shape of his life. We should thank him for the lesson.

But why now? Why didn’t he have the passion, drive, the inner competitive determination to become the greatest champion of all 30 years ago? Why is it suddenly important to him? We all know during his early life Tyson had personal problems, a marriage that was failing, agents who were less than honest, and unhappiness with his training staff after the death of his mentor, Cus D’Amato. Tyson failed to control the things he actually could. Then the problems mounted. He lost for the first time to Buster Douglas in 1990, even though he was a 42-1 favorite. His lack of preparation was subpar, and he was unwilling to take Douglas seriously, despite being advised his opponent would put forth the fight of his life after recent having lost his mother.

Over the next 10 years, Tyson’s life was in turmoil, so much so that in an interview in 2005 with USA Today, he said: “My whole life has been a waste — I’ve been a complete failure.” He was hard on himself, but for a good reason. He understood that he was actually in control of so much of what was wrong. His failure to control the things he needed to then caused everything to spiral toward destruction. Now Tyson talks openly about how his drinking problem and associations with the wrong people led him down the wrong path. He learned too late, but he wants to help others avoid the same pitfalls.

Tyson’s video is significant. His story is even more powerful. He proves that “the saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” Our No. 1 job is to prevent those we lead from wasting their talents. We must be the “talent waster police.” We must continuously be on the lookout for stories that help show young players what happens to wasted talent. Later in life, when they grow up and look back, they all feel like Tyson, they all behave like Tyson in the video. But guess what? It’s too late. Their time has come and gone. We need to show our players that they cannot make this same mistake.

We need to remind everyone that the prime of a career is short. Each second, each minute wasted is never coming back. When we squander it and fail to take our career seriously, we’ll regret the decision. Let’s not let that be 20 years from now.

P.S. If you are in search of a book recommendation, our team at The Daily Coach highly recommends Undisputed Truth by Mike Tyson. Bullied as a boy in the toughest, poorest neighborhood in Brooklyn, Tyson grew up to become one of the most ferocious boxers of all time—and the youngest heavyweight champion ever. But his brilliance in the ring was often compromised by reckless behavior. Yet—even after hitting rock bottom—the man who once admitted being addicted “to everything” fought his way back, achieving triumphant success as an actor and newfound happiness and stability as a father and husband. Brutal, honest, raw, and often hilarious, Undisputed Truth is the singular journey of an inspiring American original.

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