Toughness Can Be Measured In Many Ways


Will Hunt                                                                                                                                   

Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court
Jay Bilas


          Contrary to popular belief, toughness isn’t just being able to withstand gruesome physical challenges. Toughness has many layers, and it is seen in all aspects of life.

          In Toughness by Jay Bilas, the reader examines a nonfiction text of what Jay deems toughness to be: resilience, perseverance, courage, commitment and much more. Throughout the book, these ideas of toughness are displayed in many ways. For example, there is a story of Sage Steele. Sage Steele is now an ESPN commentator and world renowned sports analyst, but it was no easy road for her to get there. She was doubted time and time again, but she didn’t let up and worked her way to the top. She was able to overcome stern bosses, unimpressive first impressions, inabilities to to pay the bills, and more. And that is through no luck. As displayed by Bilas, Sage worked and worked: “She accepted that she couldn’t change the past, but she could impact her future with how hard she worked in the present and by getting better today”(127). This is showing toughness because at any point Sage could’ve given up her dream. But her mental toughness took over, and wouldn’t let her withdraw from what she started. Bilas also shows the importance and toughness behind true preparation. Although preparation may seem like no big deal, it sets you up for success. And true preparation is not easy. Bilas talks about how before games great players get in their zone, and that can be different for everyone. This takes mental toughness and mental capacity to stop all the fooling around because it is go time. They are preparing to win, whereas the lack of preparation is setting you up for nothing but failure. Many more examples are provided by Bilas to show toughness isn’t always strenuous or vigorous physical challenges. The whole point that the book is trying to get across is that toughness has many definitions and parts to it. A definition for toughness can’t be confined to one small sentence. Toughness can be found in all different things we do and being tough means something different to everyone. We all go through and experience different things in life and how we react determines how and who we are. Are you going to give in when it gets hard, or go back hard and accept the challenge? That is what separates the tough from the weak and this is what Bilas presents in Toughness.

         Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court, is a captivating collection of motivational stories that each and every person can relate to, on or off the court. This can be seen in quotes such as “ a turning point was taking the focus off of the result, and deciding that he was willing to live with any results from the actions”(91). As a player, I thrive when I have no time to think. I just act quickly and do what my instincts prompt, but it is a whole different story in real life. I overthink everything, and I am very indecisive. Eventually I get to a point where I have to choose one of my options and fully commit to it, no matter what that means. Bilas illustrates this exact situation beautifully and puts into perspective that everyone goes through this. And although it’s tough, if you are tough, you can fight through it. He also marvelously shows the importance of treating every situation as an opportunity. The importance of practice is understated typically throughout our world. People take practices lightly instead of having the mentality of “It is an opportunity to get better”(71). Also, this book contains tons of short stories to get the point across. Personally, I prefer the short stories because nothing drags on and there is variety. Contrary to other books, this book flew by because of the short stories. Nothing felt like it dragged on, or it was useless information so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

         As I reflect back on the book, I think I would recommend this to anyone. It can teach valuable life lessons that anyone can learn from of all ages. It also is a relatively quick and easy read so all levels could indulge in the knowledge Bilas is sharing.

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