IWSG: Go Team, Go!!!

Started by the amazing Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, Insecure Writer's Support Group is a place to give voice to our writing insecurities or encouragement for others. There's an excellent website with great tips for writing, publishing, marketing, and blogging and a facebook page for more connection.

Today I have something to share that I hope will inspire you.

Flat-water sprint canoe and kayak racing is a national and Olympic sport. The oldest club/team in the USA started in 1904 in Washington, D.C. Many teams today train at Olympic training facilities or past Olympic training venues. Most teams have their own boathouses and property. Some have professional coaches.

As writers, we often wish we had professional coaches and a professional desk/work area with every perk. We would love to hold up M.F.A. degrees from prestigious programs to back up our writing background.

But is that what it takes to be a writer?

Or a team of National Champions?

No.

The team that won the National Championship is a team that doesn't have an Olympic training facility or its own boathouse. The National Championship team has a strip of grass, a trailer, and some outdoor racks in a public park. The National Championship team doesn't have a highly paid coach. The National Championship team has a denturist who started the team 14 years ago and dedicated himself to becoming a coach (on the side, on his own time and dime), a P.E. teacher who joined him as the canoeing coach (same deal), and a few older athletes on the team who coach part-time for small wages. 

What the National Championship team did have is:

A determination to make history and win the National Championships for the third year in a row.

Dedicated coaches, athletes, and parents.

An encouraging team spirit.


So what do we need to succeed and be champion writers?

Determination, dedication, and an encouraging team spirit.

So I just wanted to take a moment and say in my loudest cheerleader-mom voice:

 

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

 

WAY TO GO!!!

 

YOU ROCK!!!

I believe in the amazing individual talents and gifts of this wonderful team of writers who are all a part of IWSG!

You are determined, dedicated, and encouraging!


And if you hadn't guessed, I am incredibly thankful to have my youngest daughter compete with "that" team - the National Champions from Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team - not because they won (although that was really cool), but because of the team's dedication, determination, and encouragement.

Our head coach, Alan Anderson (on left in pic), had an award named in his honor by the USA Canoe and Kayak association this year. He's that awesome! And, he didn't get that way with a degree from a special coaching place - he just has determination, dedication, and an encouraging attitude.

 

 

Does that coach remind you of anyone we know? And what do you think it takes to be a writer?

 

 

Now, please don't hate me, but I am blogging from the road via in and out internet coverage because my family and I are driving half the team boats all the way across the country from Georgia to Washington state. It's a 2,672 mile trip. I'll comment the best that I can and may visit your sites instead of commenting here . . .