Why Work Ethic Outlasts Natural Talent on and off the Field - S2E16

Ever seen a superstar get benched and wondered why? Coach Mikki pulls back the curtain on a season full of hard choices, where raw talent collides with team standards and the scoreboard isn’t the only thing that matters. We walk through the moments that test a coach’s resolve, when gifted players skip practice, expect to be “plugged in” on game day, and force a decision between chasing a quick win or protecting the culture eighty-seven other athletes have earned.

From the trenches of the D-line and special teams, we share what trust really looks like: first on the field, last to leave, coachable in the quiet moments, and relentless when no one’s watching. Coach Mikki lays out why passion and drive aren’t clichés but competitive advantages that compound, and why entitlement, arrogance, and ego always tax a locker room. There’s tough love in these stories. Two players walked away when the standard didn’t bend, and there are clear takeaways for life beyond the field: your past highlights don’t pay today’s rent; your habits do.

We also dig into a simple question that changes everything: is it can’t or won’t? That filter strips away excuses, exposes avoidance, and puts ownership back where it belongs. If you want a blueprint for earning your reps, whether at work, in sports, or in personal goals, this conversation provides you with the language, mindset, and standards to hold. Start strong, finish strong, and dominate everthing in between with consistent effort, honest feedback, and a commitment to team over ego.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs tough love, and leave a review telling us your take: does hustle beat talent where you are?

Chapters

• 1:02 Season Seven, Same Hard Truths
• 2:05 Drive Over Talent, Every Time
• 3:07 The Coaching Dilemma: Fairness vs Wins
• 4:10 Rewarding Work: Who Gets Reps
• 5:01 Quitting vs Earning Your Spot
• 5:46 Passion You Can’t Teach
• 7:03 No Excuses: Step Up or Step Aside
• 7:56 Can’t or Won’t
• 8:18 Start Strong, Finish Strong

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:31

Hey, bring it in. Bring it in. Listen up. Listen up. Hey, I'm Coach Mickey, and you're here on Fourth One Mindset. And it's been a while since I've had a chance to come on because I'm in the middle of my season and uh we're at game seven already, and I can't believe how quickly it went. But like any other season, uh there is the same standard, same things that I see year after year after year. And one of the things that I wanted to share with you today that I think is prevalent really in anything we do, whether it's on the field or off the field, that I have seen over and over again, and it's true to life each and every time, and that is drive and passion is far exceeding over talent. And why do I say that? Because every single time, every single year, I will see uh one or two extraordinary players that are just they're great athletes, they really are. However, their work ethic, their talent is great, but their work ethic and their drive and passion has got a lot to be desired. And what makes it very frustrating for me as a coach is that when you've got kids that come onto the field that can really execute and do really well, but don't want to show up for practice, or don't want to be team players, or think that they're the exclusion of everything else that everybody else is doing, it makes it very difficult as a coach to be able to make a very hard choice. And this is where I think sometimes we have uh disagreements as coaches because it comes down to okay, we want to win a game. However, when you've got 87 other people standing here behind you that are working really hard and knowing that somebody else can walk out on the field on game day and just be plugged in, it makes it very hard to explain that not only to the other players that are working very hard, but also to the parents that know their kids are working very hard. So I wanted to kind of cover this today. Now, this year I'm not a head coach. Uh, however, my my D line and special teams, um, I plug in the people that are doing the work. And they are also the ones that will stay after, you know, they'll stay after practice, they come in before practice, they stay late, they're always the first one to come on, the last one to leave. They're always trying to excel, they're always trying to get better, they're always trying to step up and show up. And those are the players that I value. And this is like anything else in life, you know, regardless of where you stand, regardless of where you are, you have got to pick a time frame and decide at what point are you going to step up above and beyond, regardless of what's happening, regardless of where you are in your level, regardless of who's doing better than you. Because in the end of the day, you're only competing with yourself. And that's something I always tell my guys. You're competing with yourself, you're not competing with everybody else. And when you show up and do 100% of what you are able to do that day, that's what's going to make you a winner. That's what's going to be what puts you into the extraordinary column of everybody else. Yeah, talent's a gift, you know, and it's a natural ability. And a lot of times it comes easy for some people, but I've seen it over time. If the work ethic isn't there, then the talent's going to fade because people are not going to put up with the other stuff that comes with it. The arrogance, the ego, the um just the abrasiveness. And and it's unfortunate because I did see over this season, I did see two players quit because they didn't show up for practice. They expected to play game day and be plugged in because they were superstars last year. And when it came down to no, that's not the way it works. Uh, they decided to leave. And it really saddened me. I was really sad to see that happen because this is wasn't about being the starter on a football team. This was about quitting because you didn't get what you wanted. This is about quitting because you weren't willing to step up and do the work to prove that you deserve to be in that position. And just like everything in life, you have to be able to go through some obstacles and you're gonna deal with things. And there's always gonna be more people out there that are maybe better than you or doing it better. But it doesn't mean that you quit. And that was what was sad about that. You know, passion is gonna be the fire that sets behind you, and it's gonna be the reason that you show up again and again and again, even through the failures, even when it doesn't work, even when there's times where you've got other people or you're you're you don't feel like doing it. And it just that drive is what makes you become unstoppable. It's also what actually brings you to the next level. And your passion is something that you have to want. That comes from within. I can't teach that as a coach. I can I can teach you technique, I can teach you the game, I can teach you things I've learned through experience. I can't even teach you life skills. But what I can't teach you and what I can't give you is drive and passion. That has to come from within. That comes from what you decide, what you desire, and what you want every day, even when you don't feel like doing it, even when you're tired, even when uh you've got to step up when it matters the most. That's what creates legacy. So I'm sharing this with you because I'm really over the excuses and and the reasons why, and and hearing that, you know, hey, why can't I, why don't I? And instead of instead of making excuses, I want to see them step up. Step up, step in, show up, you know, show me what you've got, go above and beyond, train harder, learn, get out there. You know, I'm willing to teach you as a coach to get you to that point, but what I can't do is I can't make you do it. And although I know this was all geared towards football, I wanted to be able to express this because I see it day in and day out, not only on the field, but I see it off the field. You know, I have people and clients that still come to me and tell me why they can't and give me every excuse under the sun of what's gonna happen. And my question to them is there's no such thing as can't, but I do believe in won't. So I have to ask, it's like, you know, is it you can't do it or you won't do it? You know, is it not within you or is it something that you're avoiding? So I'm gonna leave you with that. And again, it's one of those the hardest things I have to do as a coach. It's tough love. But if there's something you really want, then this is the opportunity that you've got to take to show up for yourself and start doing the work to be able to get you where you need to be. All right. So let's start strong and finish strong. And let's dominate everything in between. I'm Coach Mickey. See ya.