“Success is about having, excellence is about being. Success is about having money and fame, but excellence is being the best you can be.”

– Mike Ditka

It’s so easy to get caught up in the desire to win trophies and awards. They are the external rewards that make athletes feel like their hard work has paid off and they’ve earned something to show for it. Many times those external rewards are what determine an athlete’s success. You hear too often that a professional athlete retires, sustains a career ending injury, gets cut from the team or loses their tour status, just to realize they are left with years of external rewards but no internal ones. They don’t know who they are without being successful at their sport. Learning that true excellence comes from within is what will allow a junior golfer the opportunity to use the game of golf as a personal development tool to succeed both on and off the course. All the practice and hard work isn’t just so you can win another trophy, it’s so you can become a better you as well. Make sure every time you step on the golf course you focus on the internal rewards it brings and not just the external. If you happen to win a medal or trophy, that is just icing on the cake.

Write down 3 internal reasons you play the game of golf and put them somewhere you will see them or in your golf bag. When you get discouraged because of a bad round take them out and remind yourself that you are getting more out of golf than just the external rewards.