Lisa Leslie Offers Advice for Athletes
Lisa Leslie is no stranger to success. Her hard work and dedication to the game helped her win four Olympic gold medals, three WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards and two WNBA championships. In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time.
Leslie’s success stemmed in large measure from her positive attitude. The former USC and Los Angeles Sparks standout advises athletes to “remember your two H’s—that is, be humble but be hungry.”
One important aspect of being humble is to always treat people with respect. According to Leslie, regardless of your position in life, whether you are a janitor or a top executive, treat people the way you would like to be treated. “All people are people. It is important to be good to people, and you will get that back,” she says.
The second “H” is to stay hungry. “Be hungry about your sport or whatever it is you are passionate about,” Leslie urges. It will help you focus, and as a result, you will always give your best effort. When you are always eager to perform better, you continue to push yourself, never settling for anything less than perfection.
Leslie credits her perfectionism as a driving force. “You can’t reach perfection—that’s what drives me. I am a perfectionist, but you can’t reach perfection, so I am always looking for ways to get better.”
Photo: jerseychaser.com
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Lisa Leslie Offers Advice for Athletes
Lisa Leslie is no stranger to success. Her hard work and dedication to the game helped her win four Olympic gold medals, three WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards and two WNBA championships. In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time.
Leslie’s success stemmed in large measure from her positive attitude. The former USC and Los Angeles Sparks standout advises athletes to “remember your two H’s—that is, be humble but be hungry.”
One important aspect of being humble is to always treat people with respect. According to Leslie, regardless of your position in life, whether you are a janitor or a top executive, treat people the way you would like to be treated. “All people are people. It is important to be good to people, and you will get that back,” she says.
The second “H” is to stay hungry. “Be hungry about your sport or whatever it is you are passionate about,” Leslie urges. It will help you focus, and as a result, you will always give your best effort. When you are always eager to perform better, you continue to push yourself, never settling for anything less than perfection.
Leslie credits her perfectionism as a driving force. “You can’t reach perfection—that’s what drives me. I am a perfectionist, but you can’t reach perfection, so I am always looking for ways to get better.”
Photo: jerseychaser.com