Sophomore Jordan Tyson is a redshirt with Georgia State this season after spending two seasons at St. Bonaventure. Each month during the season, he will give us a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to have to redshirt and not get to play. Make sure to check GeorgiaStateSports.com every month for another edition of A Redshirt's Guide to College Basketball.
Things aren't going as expected with the team right now. I touched on the topic somewhat on the prior post, but it's really coming to life now. We're going through a "testing period." The wins and losses aren't the issue at this point of the year. It's how we're winning and how we're losing.
Just evaluating it from my position as a redshirt sophomore, I can see everything that is happening as if it's a replay of my first two years playing college basketball. This is a great opportunity for us as a team, and a great opportunity for me individually. It gives me the opportunity to watch my teammates deal with these trials without actually being "in the fire." As selfish as that might sound, it will actually be beneficial for us as an entire program next year.
Of course we're still focused on the present and have hopes of playing in the NCAA tournament, but there's nothing wrong with working towards a vision beyond where we are right now. It gives a person motivation, and peace, to visualize how things could be. Without this "vision"'we are just walking zombies on this earth. I envision myself being a key player for the basketball program, not because of my skills/abilities, but because of the way I will be able to handle adversities when they come next year.
I will give you guys an example... my favorite t.v. show growing up was a show called Dragon Ball Z. As corny as it may sound, I used to envision myself being one of the characters on the show; fighting the bad guys and making the world a better place for all. How I planned on obtaining the fighting skills to protect the universe was a different story. Not only did I watch the show, I used to have the action figures, play the video game, and whatever else I could get or participate in that was related to the show. I didn't understand the deeper message behind the show at the time; behind all the special effects, the intense fights, and the emotional story lines.
What I understand now from a young adult perspective compared to my pre-teen mind at the time, is that it was all about the process. It's one thing to be focused on the vision. It's another thing to be focused on the process just as much as the goal itself. The entire vision obviously involves a process. You can't be so amazed by the vision that you lose sight of the work that it takes to get there.
In the show I've been referring to that I grew up watching, "Dragon Ball Z," the story lines weren't always romantic. There was pain and struggle involved. Even when things were "peaceful" on earth, characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo, mighty warriors, were still working on there fighting craft. They continued to train not only to protect earth (which is very important. Don't get me wrong. I'm still a HUGE fan of the show), but they also continued to train because they loved the process, and the anticipation of an enemy coming in and challenging their fighting skills and power. They loved this feeling. This feeling of going through hard times and pain in order to accomplish something.
While my teammates and I can't fly in the air and defeat galatical enemy threats, we can visualize ourselves doing this with the issues we face as a team every day. There's always an obstacle placed in the way on the path to success. Those obstacles can be anything. The main things these obstacles try to do is create division.
We are more than capable however to overcome these obstacles. As for myself individually, I deal with hurdles every day that I have to get over. Not being able to participate in something that you enjoy more than anything can be difficult, but the PROCESS is something that I'm embracing more and more every day on this path from Red-Shirt, to member of a conference and national championship team.
Until next month, Go Panthers!
Jordan Tyson
