Lessons from Professional Receivers

“There is good for me and I ought to have it.” Emma Curtis Hopkins

Want to become a better receiver?  Let’s learn from people who do it for a living – wide receivers!  A wide receiver in American and Canadian football is the pass-catching specialist. Wide receivers are among the fastest and most agile players in the game, and they are frequently featured in the game highlights.  Just what is it that makes a good wide receiver and what can we learn from them about receiving?

According to football coaches, speed is the number one quality of top wide receivers.  They need to be able to get up to speed immediately and to change direction without losing speed, as well.  However, if speed is not the wide receiver’s greatest asset, this can be offset by “precise pattern execution, complete focus on the ball when it is thrown his way, and the ability to get away from defensive players or find the holes between zone coverages” (http://www.footballscrimmage.com/articles/wide-receiver-characteristics.shtml).

That means successful wide receivers are able to concentrate during each step of the play and ultimately shut all else out as they focus on the ball coming toward them.  Then they must be ready to “take a hit” after catching the ball.  Finally, they must be in strong enough condition to do this over and over during the game.

Doesn’t sound very easy, does it?  Of all the characteristics and skills described above to be a good receiver, agility and concentration are most applicable to receiving in general.  Recognizing that what you are seeking may appear differently than you expected requires agility in your thinking.  It also may show up sooner than you think or when you least expect it, such as meeting the love of your life in the produce department of the supermarket.  Staying focused on what your ultimate goal is, in spite of distractions, delays, and obstacles, is certainly a form of concentration. 

There is one more critical skill to look at – the ability to “take a hit.”  Join me next week for more on that.

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