The Perfect Routine

"Practice makes perfect" is the athlete's creed. The hours and hours of practice each athlete devotes to their sport illustrate that passion for perfection. And, with perfection comes a degree of excellence that is sure to draw recognition.

In football, perfection is captured in the way the team plots each play against its opponent. Dancers similarly repeat movements to express beauty through their bodies. Runners circle the track chasing after that elusive perfection. Agility, endurance, flexibility, strength, and mentality all contribute to perfection no matter the sport. But only one thing truly governs each athlete in their pursuit of perfection.

The clock.

With its numbered face and ticking heartbeat every athlete races against the clock. The field, the floor, and the track are filled with competitors creating the illusion that they are the rival. But the clock controls the athlete's destiny. Beginning at practice, every athlete must optimize each minute leading up to the final performance. Then, the clock reveals who is closer to perfection.

Football players have 25 seconds to set up their play and one hour to prove before the spectators that they are the better team. The perfect maneuvers.

The dancer has three minutes of music to display the movement epitomizing the song. The perfect combinations.

The runner has few fleeting seconds to cross the finish line. The perfect pace.

Competitors are merely distractions. They have the potential to motivate, but competitors could ultimately inhibit an athlete. Some athletes allow their competitors to push them, pace them, and encourage them. This is risky. The athlete could give the competitor too much power and become intimidated or distracted. A focus on comparison prevents the athlete from seeing goals beyond the competitor. They go just far enough to beat the rival when the clock could enhance their performance. The clock is dependable and predicable. Competitors are not. Athletes must not rely on others to push them. Injury, illness, lack of preparation, and poor mentality could arbitrarily diminish a rival's performance. If athletes base their performance off an unreliable source, their performance is likely to be imperfect as well.

The clock is closer to perfection than any rival could ever be. It will continue to tick. Each tick will come precisely when it is supposed to. Tick. Tick. Tick. Athletes become subject to this monotonous echo. They center their life around the clock: when to rest, when to eat, when to practice, when to stretch, when to compete. Athletes become obsessed. They pursue the clock-bound routine that will bring them closer to perfection.

It all comes back to the phrase "practice makes perfect." Practice is repetition. Just like the clock, the athlete locks into a pattern. Tick. Tick. Tick. An echo that can transform the monotonous and the ordinary into the glamorous and the grand. Obsession and passion for their sport drive determined athletes through the rigorous and repetitive schedule dictated by the clock. The best athletes practice what the clock determines to be their best shot at victory: the perfect routine.