Jan. 2, 2008
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By Rod Williamson
The parking lot is almost bare as headlights break the pre-dawn haze. Much of the city slumbers. But there is one place that seldom sleeps: the Strength and Speed Center in McGugin Center.
Every weekday morning the treadmills are humming, the iron clanking and the music blaring at 6 o’clock. One walks in the place at 6:20, feeling proud of his hustle, only to realize the women’s golf team and the cheerleaders have beaten you in by nearly a half hour. The cheerleaders? Absolutely, twice a week!
Next time it is lacrosse, tennis or the bowlers. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat these guys. They define hustle.
Especially at schools such as Vanderbilt, where the term student-athlete is taken seriously, there are two times to condition – before classes begin or after they have concluded. Commodore athletes work out in several well-furnished conditioning centers early mornings and late afternoons under the watchful eye of fitness professionals.
This is but one reason why we enjoy our vocation. We have access to these free motivational testimonials.
Feeling lethargic? Stuck in a rut at your desk? Think you are the only person on the planet willing to go the extra mile? Walk through the weight room and think again. Ambition lives here, coming from top athletes who will soon slide into a seat in the chemistry lab or economics hall among the smartest young people in North America.
It is humbling to realize just how dedicated our student-athletes are, how driven they are for victory on the court and in the classroom. Faint-hearted need not apply.
Former Commodore pitching star Jensen Lewis is back in town after making a big splash with the Cleveland Indians this year. You watched him in the American League Championship Series, pitching middle relief as the Indians beat the Yankees and took eventual champion Boston to seven games.
Lewis recently spoke to members of the Athletic Department in a speech called “Being a Difference Maker.” The 24-year-old pointed out four essentials toward becoming a difference-maker in any organization.
1. Discipline and hard work: One must go beyond what is expected; “I know what I want to accomplish and will pay the price it takes.”
2. Expect victory: Believe it will happen.
3. Team comes first attitude: “I’ll do what it takes to make the team better.”
4. Respect: Friendships are nice but, gaining respect by being prepared and reliable is a must.
It is obvious how Lewis cracked the Major Leagues so quickly. He is a shining example of what the best of Vanderbilt has to offer the rest of the world.
Those Commodores pumping iron and skipping rope before dawn understand what Jensen is preaching, too. They are members of the choir.