College Basketball Coach, Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Commencement Speech at the Trine University, 2010
In 2010, Bobby Knight, the legendary college basketball coach known for his passion and leadership on the court, delivered a motivational and spirited commencement address at Trine University. Knight shared his insights on the importance of discipline, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence in both sports and life. The address celebrated the values of hard work and perseverance
10 top life lessons by Bobby Knight
- Lesson: You can’t please everyone. Trying to meet everyone’s expectations can lead to unfavorable outcomes, as demonstrated by the story of the grandfather, grandson, and the mule.
- Lesson: Hard work is a constant in life.Whether it’s in your professional or personal life, meaningful achievements require effort, resilience, and facing challenges.
- Lesson: Not all sacrifices are worthwhile: Some sacrifices may not align with your values or lead to genuine happiness, as highlighted by the example of a successful professional with a child in rehab.
- Lesson: Define your priorities to shape your life: Deciding who you are and what you want is crucial; your choices determine the trajectory of both your personal and professional life.
- Lesson: Life involves constant decision-making. Every decision, no matter how small, influences the path you take, and each commitment comes with its own set of sacrifices.
- Lesson: No one gets everything in life.: Acknowledge that you can’t have it all; for every gain, there may be a corresponding loss or sacrifice.
- Lesson: The complexity of life adds to its richness. Embrace the challenges and complexities of life; a straightforward path may lack the depth and fulfillment found in overcoming obstacles.
- Lesson: Personal and professional balance requires conscious choices: Balancing personal and professional commitments necessitates thoughtful decision-making to avoid neglecting one aspect at the expense of the other.
- Lesson: Continuous learning is essential: Even when things are going well, the willingness to learn and adapt is crucial for personal and professional growth.
- Lesson: Life’s challenges make the journey worthwhile. Despite the difficulties, facing and overcoming challenges adds value to the journey of life, making the pursuit of goals and dreams meaningful
Best quotes of Bobby Knight‘s speech
"Everything worthwhile is hard. Some sacrifices aren’t worthwhile."Video of Bobby Knight‘s Commencement speech at Trine University
“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in preparation. “
Part 2 of the Speech
Part 3 of the Speech
Commencement speech transcript
You can’t please everyone. Knight told the story of a grandfather, grandson, and their mule. As the trio proceeded on a long journey, they were continually stopped by observers. The grandfather was scolded that he should let the boy ride on the mule, not walk because the boy is young. A while later, the boy was scolded that the grandfather should ride because the grandfather is old. Eventually, they were told that they should both ride. Then they were told that they should carry the mule because the mule has always worked hard for them. Each time, they obliged the requests, but as they tried to carry the mule, they accidentally dropped it off a bridge and the mule drowned. “The moral — when you try to please everybody, you’re going to lose your ass,” Knight said.
So, what are you willing to do. Work is hard. Change is hard. Taking a long look in the mirror is hard. Sacrificing family time is hard. Sacrificing at work to be with family is hard. Continuing to learn when everything is going well is hard. Demanding that your employee continue to evolve away from their comfort zone is hard. Tearing it down to build it back up is hard. Foregoing the pleasantness of personal relationships in order to accomplish professional goals is hard.
Everything worthwhile is hard. Some sacrifices aren’t worthwhile. Ask a professionally successful parent with a kid in rehab if he or she would do anything differently.
Deciding who you are and what you want is the key. If you want to be the CEO of some big-ass corporation and build a retirement home in West Palm Beach, your personal and family relationships will suffer. If you decide it’s more important for you to see all your kids’ baseball and basketball games than make every meeting and work until 7p every night, the professional life will languish.
That’s life. Decisions – every decision every day – take each of us down the path to where we wind up. No one gets everything. For each commitment, a sacrifice is required. That is life.
It would be great if life were as simple as making the decision to outwork everyone, but what kind of challenge would that be.