Chase The Kangaroo

Austin FC forward Brandon Vazquez #9 scores a goal during the first half of the match against San Diego FC at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Sunday March 23, 2025. PHOTO CREDIT: AustinFC.com

Rising to the Occasion

In a recent soccer match, a midfielder passed the ball precisely up the middle between two defenders, well into the opposing team’s territory. With flawless timing, the striker sprinted past their defense and went one on one with the goalie. As the goalie rushed forward to cut off shot angles, the striker calmly kept his composure and quickly shifted himself and the ball past the goalie for easy shot into the net.

We’ve all heard the term, rising to the occasion. It’s a phrase we’ve all heard dozens of times. Sometimes we’ve heard it used in future tense as in, a coach inspiring his team to meet the challenge set before them. More often than not, we hear it used in the past tense as in, that striker rose to the occasion to calmly glide past the goalie for an easy shot. He could have been impatient and risked a shot as the goalie closed in on him. But he rose to the occasion and helped his team win the match. We would say that they stepped up to successfully complete the task at hand or whatever the moment called for.

I think we forget that rising to the occasion isn’t something magical. It isn’t mystical or something that we simply muster up the courage to tackle. It might feel like that sometimes, but we can’t rise to the occasion without having put in the work. Meeting the challenge is about preparation. This moment on the field is a perfect example of how preparation enables success.

Before the striker put the ball into the net, a few things had to happen and none of them were about luck. The midfielder had to recognize that there was an opportunity unfolding in front of him. Recognizing the opportunity was a result of hard work, preparation, and experience. Not only did he have to seize that moment, but he needed the skill to push the ball forward with precision and the right amount of weight.

The striker had to the recognize the opportunity unfolding before him, as well. Moving too soon and he would have been offsides. Moving too late and the goalie or another defender could have shut down the play. He had enough time to overthink and panic, risking a rushed shot that could miss the back of the net. Instead, he remained calm and let his experience preparation guide him. 

When we see a person or a group of people rising to the occasion, we see hard work and preparation in action. There are those moments when we have a choice between rising to the occasion or not. When we do decide to meet the challenge, we do so knowing we’ve put in the work. We have confidence in our preparation. Without the work, we aren’t rising to the occasion when the moment comes. We are just gambling.

Rising to the occasion isn’t just for athletes or extraordinary moments… it’s for all of us, every day, and it begins with the work we do to prepare.