SACRIFICE
A huge part of being an All Black – of becoming an All Black – is making a significant number of sacrifices. Young men who want to reach the highest level have to be prepared to give up things that won’t help them reach the summit. It can be tough but that’s the expectation.
It could be sacrificing alcohol – choosing not to drink when peer pressure is encouraging it. It could be giving up certain types of foods that are not deemed right for high performance.
It could be giving up time with friends to go to the gym or practise a skillset. It could be all of these things and more but to be an All Black – and to become a good one – there has to be a sense within the athlete that they have deliberately chosen the path and rejected easier options.
Sacrifice not only has real, practical value – helping produce healthier, fitter, more skilled players – it instills a mindset that the overall goal is something special and worth chasing.