The Daily Grind: Be Relentless

Before I share my monthly message to the student-athletes, I would just like to share that ‘The Daily Grind’ won the best sports column for the 2024 Missouri Press Foundation: Better Newspaper Contest. I also won the best sports photo, which is great because I spent a lot of time learning about sports photography.

I feel much humility and gratitude for the recognition, and I hope the column has helped at least one student-athlete. It feels great to see an organization on the outside take notice of the message I’ve been attempting to share through this column.

I hope that the Daily Grind column has been helpful to someone. Whether it's one student or 100, I'm glad that I'm able to share a message with them about the daily obstacles of being a student-athlete and providing tools to make it much easier. I launched the Daily Grind column with the intention of providing student-athletes with a guide that I did not have access to myself. This was my first motivation for producing the piece.

Since then, I’ve discussed having the proper balance, overcoming adversity, embracing your failures and having that Mamba mentality.

This edition of the Daily Grind is centered around being relentless.

Being relentless is just having a strong desire and pursuing it despite obstacles that may stand in your way. It signifies that you should never give up and always finish what you started.

I'm sharing this message since I know some of you are well-immersed in your season. Some things may be going well for you, while others may not be so fantastic. The key to battling through adversity is to keep working.

Every sport presents its own unique set of obstacles. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Certain events in this universe are designed to test and discourage you at times, but in my opinion, they are really a form of gauging your level of desire. When something is truly important to you, you will go to great lengths to get it. That’s called being relentless.

So, when you're down 30–15 in the fourth quarter but playing with all your heart, that’s a skill that can’t be taught. Continue playing even when you feel like giving up, and your back is against the wall. Never stop being hungry and continue advancing. The older I get, the more I understand that sports are all mental. It's a cerebral game in every way.

Certain players possess greater talent and skill than others, which may be the case, but your mindset and philosophy differ. I bring up Kobe Bryant all the time. That's why I've always been such a fan of his. You have to realize that although Kobe Bryant was excellent, he wasn't LeBron James. He was not as skilled as LeBron. Lebron went into the NBA ready to play, but Kobe needed to go to work, and he showed everyone the true meaning of being relentless.

Don't allow people to get into your head to make you think you're not good enough. I encourage all student-athletes to stay motivated and persistent in their pursuits. Believe in yourself and stay true to the game. Your efforts will be rewarded in the end.

I wish you all the best of luck as you try to maneuver your way to success as a student-athlete. Remember, nothing in this world can stop you from achieving greatness if you stick to the daily grind.

D’Courtland Christian is the sports editor of the Daily American Republic. Contact him at dchristian@darnews.com.