You miss 100% of the shots you don't take – Wayne Gretzky is still the boss
I was just seven years old when I first came across the legendary Wayne Gretzky. Watching on as he weaved effortlessly in and out of opposing defenders and scoring goal after goal was something I never tired off. The memories are all the sweeter considering Wayne’s success usually meant my brother’s misery.
Other than Sonic the Hedgehog, NHLPA 93 was definitely my favourite game on the Sega Mega Drive!
It wasn’t till a few years later, I finally got to see the real Wayne – at least on TV. Growing up in England, it’s a regret I never got to see him play in the flesh. When he retired in 1999, he did so as the leading scorer in NHL history, holding 61 NHL records. Some called him the best player to have ever played the game.
Others, the great one!
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Besides his obvious talent and now legendary status, one of the things I love about Wayne Gretzky, even now, is that his legacy spans beyond merely winning hockey matches. Not only was he a brilliant player, but, in my opinion, a great role model whose fantastic attitude and words of wisdom still resonate. His size and strength, at least on paper, would normally have been considered under average for a career in the league, let alone allow him to become its best player: “I wasn’t naturally gifted in terms of size and speed,” was something he readily admitted; “everything I did in hockey I worked for.”
Though next year will mark the 20th anniversary of his retirement, even now 60 of his records remain in tact, which is pretty remarkable considering how records have a tendency to be broken. Statistically, referring to him as the best player ever can be backed up, but for me, evidence he was ‘the great one’ has just as much to do with his message. His words of inspiration remain timeless:
‘Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.’
‘The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.’
‘Maybe it wasn’t the talent the Lord gave me – maybe it was the passion.’
‘Not doing it is certainly the best way to not getting it.’
Finally, my personal favourite:
‘The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.’