Being conscientious means being passionate about your sport, working extraordinarily hard on it, and taking control of your career. It means being responsible for yourself and wanting to do well and make good. Success depends on your ability to discipline yourself to set clear goals and then to work toward them every day. For the conscientious athlete, working hard becomes a habit and serious fun. The conscientious athlete gets satisfaction from pushing themself to the limit knowing that all the effort is going to pay off. Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for longer than most other people. As Muhammad Ali said, “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses–behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Or as Joe Frazier said, if you don’t put the work in, you will get found out under the bright lights.



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Conscientiousness Tips
1 Are you prepared to spend most of your time in training and in practice?
2 Do you give 100 percent all of the time?
3 Have you developed specific plans and goals to guide your training and practice?
4 Do you prepare thoroughly for competition by developing and rehearsing a competition plan?
5 When you are going through a difficult patch, do you stick with it and continue to try to do your best?
6 Do you try to deliver more than you are asked to do by your coach or team captain?

What experts say

Once you’re in the game and it’s a part of your life, you never want to leave it. But you have to be committed to be able to travel and do the things you need to do to be successful in whatever role you’re doing.

Joe Sakic Ice Hockey Player

Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.

Lou Holtz American Football Player


Do the SPQ20 and find out how conscientious you are