Page 99 - Be Reasonable – Do It My Way , Peter E. Daly AM, My Story

CHAPTER 10 - GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT - GRANDDAUGHTERS AND MY SPORTING PHILOSOPHY
You might be asking what stamina has to do with sport and I think it’s the greatest contribution a sportsman can have besides footwork. If you don’t have either of these two, I can’t see how you can play any sport at the top level and that is why some people are better than others, but not everyone is born with this quality and it’s something you have to work on. A good example was when Peter Jnr was playing rugby and there were two Marist Brothers Schools in Johannesburg who used to play against each other. Never during the time I was watching rugby, did Peter’s school beat the school I went to. So, I decided to ask one of my good friends, who was a retired Springbok rugby player and who had played for South Africa - Bokkie Smit, whether he would give some advice to Peter’s team.
He kept his word and pitched up at one of the practices, blowing the whistle, calling them over and he spoke about mental fitness. He said that he would watch them in a training session and then talk to them afterwards and see what he could do to improve their ability. However, it didn’t go very long. He blew his whistle and he called them over and he told them that he was now leaving and said he would not be back until they were physically fit to play rugby. The point he made is in sport, as in business, unless you are physically fit, you cannot think. He told them all he wanted them to run and after they became fit, he would then coach them. At the end it was the first time Peter’s school beat the other Marist Brothers School and I am sure it was through fitness and having the right stamina to finish the game on a high standard.
Another interesting factor that came out of that lesson is that if you want to win in sport or in business or simply grow your business, you apply the same philosophy. One of the most important factors is for you to do your homework because if you haven’t done your homework, it is quite impossible to persuade others that you have the ability to manage their business. So much for that lesson from St Peter.
I seem to have been waffling and therefore I should return to the introduction of my grandchildren and if I have done any of them an
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