Tiger Woods, Bill Parcells and Respect

Respecting the game or the profession of our choice allows us to surge forward with our competitive nerve.

April 11, 2022

Watching Tiger Woods come back from a devastating injury that almost cost him his lower leg to 14 months later competing in a major golf tournament this past weekend was inspiring.

Woods’ willingness to battle and challenge himself can really light a fire under us all, especially considering his many lifelong achievements could’ve easily afforded him the opportunity to just be a spectator.

So why did he do this?

Years ago, legendary former NFL Coach Bill Parcells, was asked a similar question by his wife.

“My wife said to me once, ‘Explain to me why you continue to do this? The times that you enjoy it are so much fewer than the rest of the other stuff. What kind of ego do you have that you have to keep proving things to yourself? Why do you do it? You’re not happy, so why do you keep doing it?’

I told her she didn’t understand. I told her it’s just about competition because my whole life, since I was seven years old, you went to the gym or you went to the playground. It was always ‘who are we playing and where?’ I’m still doing it.”

Nothing has changed. It’s still, Who are we playing today?

Can the Woods answer be that simple as who are we playing today? Can it always be about the competition?

On a basic level, the answer yes, it is about the competitive element. But it’s also about the respect given to the game, the event, the past history of those who have walked before and hopefully those who will someday walk ahead.

What Woods and Parcells have in common besides the competitive nerve and drive is a respect for the arena in which they compete. That extra ingredient makes them uncommon and inspires observers to compete at an even higher level.

Respecting the game or the profession of our choice allows us to surge forward with our competitive nerve. With every painful stride Woods took along the wonderful grounds of Augusta this past weekend, his respect for the game he loves fueled his next step.