Congratulations. You are one of 64. Very few people can say the played collegiate athletics, and even fewer can say they ever played in an NCAA tournament. I wish you luck, I wish you a fair game and I wish you the best. But beyond all that, I hope that you embrace the moment in front of your face. The 90 minutes that you are handed and nothing beyond that.
NCAA is a different breed. Whether D1, D2, D3, that tournament is a whole new season and ANYTHING can happen. Some of the greatest upsets in sports history have happened in the midst of the NCAA tournaments, that is what makes them so incredible. So I give you this one piece of advice: bring it.
This is not the time to think about tomorrow, or what happened the last time you played this team or that you will walk through them. This is not the time to get sentimental at the thoughts of season and careers ending; this is not the time for hugs and lovey dovey nonsense. This is the time to bring all that you have learned, all that you have been through, all the 5 am alarms and the 10 pm training sessions. This is the time to bring the grit that you have within you and the bone chilling tackles that change the game.
There is no time to back off, no time to give 99% and no more time to question if you can, because guess what: YOU EARNED THIS. Everyone “deserves” to play in an NCAA tournament, but you have to earn the RIGHT to dress for that game in November. And you have done that. Through 20 games, you have proved your worth and your ability not only to your team but to the country, and now its time to tell everyone exactly what you’re here for.
So grab your teammates hands and hit the field. You've been given another day to lace up your cleats. Get working to make sure that you are as best prepared as you can be. Your homework is done, you bags are packed, the clock has struck midnight. You won a conference title? You lost in the semi finals? Guess what? Nobody cares. It's about what you bring to the field now. Want to be the best in the country, want to hoist that trophy in just a few short weeks? Well then, like I said: bring it. It's about the team that brings it all in that moment on that day in the game, not who was the best a week ago, a month ago, a year ago; TODAY. You’ve been given the stage to show everyone what you’ve known since day one: you have the best team in the country. So the question remains, are you going to choke under the spotlight, or smile and embrace the pressure? The choice is yours.
So, good luck. Grab your teammates hands, take a deep breathe, and walk out on that field with pride in your heart, and fight coursing through your veins. And no matter what, leave it out there. No regrets.
May the best team win.
