Setting an Example

January 16, 2004, is a date that may have significantly impacted the sports world for many years to come. Two 14-year-old athletes made a big splash in their respective sports. Michelle Wie played in the Sony Open on the PGA tour and missed the cut by one stroke, tying two men who had won major championships the previous year. Freddy Adu, in a move that shocked no one, was chosen as the top pick in the Major League Soccer draft by D.C. United.

While Michelle Wie and Freddy Adu will be competing with and against athletes twice their age—and some old enough to be their parents—they can still make an impact by the example they set. I believe that this is what leading those who are above you is primarily about. For example, when Adu was given the number 9 on his jersey, he responded by saying, “I would rather have number 11, but you can’t always get what you want. You have to earn it.”

It would have been easy for the 14-year-old phenom to whine and complain about not getting his number. Doing so, I believe, would have stripped any credibility and influence that Adu has with his coaches, teammates and fans. Instead, he set an example that reveals a desire to work hard and be a team player.

Whether you are young in age or young at heart, people are watching you to see how you live, not how you say you live. What kind of example are you going to set for them?