It’s the little tasks—done exceptionally well—that make big opportunities attainable.
This is a message I work hard to instill in our Huskie elite athletes and our business clients at Corporate Athletes International (CAI).
In today’s speed-oven society, it’s easy to want outcomes we’re not yet prepared to sustain.
I literally launched my career in the mailroom of the USTA, serving as a sport science intern.
From there—encouraged by my supervisor—I moved to Boise State (Idaho) as a graduate assistant coach. Then to William & Mary as an assistant. From there, the trajectory continued upward.
At every stop, I absorbed leadership lessons, expanded my sphere of influence, and—most importantly—built lifelong relationships.
“The price of success is paid in advance.”
Whether you’re a leader aiming to inspire decisive action or someone on the come up seeking greater responsibility, here are a few championship principles that have held true at every level:
1️⃣ Be the best-prepared individual in the room.
2️⃣ Make practice harder than the match (whatever that means in your craft).
3️⃣ Obsess over the details—they compound.
4️⃣ Own losses and failures—accountability builds trust.
5️⃣ Work with patient urgency.
Remember: Michael Jordan played 15 seasons and won 6 championships.
It’s how he used the other nine to prepare that made all the difference.
René Vidal