As an academic and college professor, I have experience in developing programs that meet the needs of both students and potential employers. Years ago, while developing the baccalaureate marketing degree and certificate in marketing, I researched the best collegiate programs nationwide and analyzed the needs of anticipated job placement businesses. Then, intending to place 100% of graduates in high-paying jobs, I created a program that included over 30 new credit hours of upper-division coursework. In the throes of building out this program, and on one particular assignment in an upper-division marketing class, I required students to consider 137 virtues compiled from my efforts to understand better what employers were seeking as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from graduates.
Skills and Virtues
A decade later – in my transition from academic course dev to athletic course dev, with a passion for creating a premier approach scientifically aligned for teaching top skills in pickleball, I once again considered the importance of virtues. While outstanding skill development is essential for success in this sport, virtues also play a central role in the competition, particularly for those at the 5.0 and above skill level. Therefore, I have compiled what I believe to be the optimal virtues of a world-class pickleball professional. In this narrative, let me share a narrower list of the top virtues that should emanate from those who consistently win and capture the media’s attention in professional pickleball tournaments.
As pickleball sustains its position as the fastest sport in the world, top-level professional players would benefit from embodying these virtues as ambassadors. By doing so, they can inspire the rising generations and those who may think their sporting years are behind them and help to ensure that pickleball continues to be “a metaphor for a happy life.”
What is a Virtue?
One can define a “virtue” as a morally sound and desirable moral excellence, quality, or trait, such as honesty, integrity, compassion, or courage. We often associate virtues with personal ethics, character, and values, and we can see them as the foundation of moral life. Philosophers, religious traditions, and, more recently, the field of positive psychology have studied the development of virtues.
Why Consider Virtues?
Developing virtues is not about being better than others but instead developing the potential of our hearts and minds. According to the positive psychology movement, cultivating virtues can lead to a sense of purpose and meaning, positive relationships, and overall well-being (Park et al., 2004). Philosophers in ancient Greece, such as Aristotle, believed that virtues were habits that could be cultivated through practice and repetition (Aristotle, 350 BCE/1985). Similarly, Buddha and the Yogis of ancient India emphasized cultivating virtues such as compassion, loving-kindness, and equanimity as part of “the path to enlightenment” (Bhikkhu, 2012).
Recent research has also shown that cultivating virtues can lead to positive outcomes, such as increased well-being, resilience, and satisfaction with life (Park et al., 2004; Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Virtues such as gratitude, forgiveness, and humility have been found to be associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and higher levels of positive affect and life satisfaction (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).
In conclusion, personal growth and well-being require developing virtues. We can consciously cultivate virtues, habits, and states of mind using a systematic approach rather than being inborn personal traits.
Pickleball and Virtues
In sports, cultivating virtues benefits athletic performance and personal growth. For example, in pickleball, where mental toughness and sportsmanship are just as important as physical skill, the development of virtues is critical. As we train professional and amateur athletes at The Coaches Corner, we emphasize the importance of cultivating patience, resilience, humility, and integrity. By consciously practicing these qualities, players can improve their performance on the court and overall quality of life.
In addition to physical training and skill development, cultivating virtues is essential for any professional pickleball player who wishes to serve as an ambassador for the sport. By embodying these qualities, players can inspire and uplift others and help to promote pickleball as “a metaphor for a happy life.”
Coaches Corner CURRENT Top-10 List of Virtues
Here are ten virtues that serve as an initial benchmark for athletes to consider. View them through the lens of self-evaluation, considering both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to assess your acquired virtues. Engage in self-reflection to identify opportunities for growth and improvement, enhancing your ambassadorship and professional outlook. Ultimately, the question is this: How effectively are you embodying these virtues, and where can you make positive changes to further your progress?
- Perseverance: A pickleball professional may face setbacks, such as losing a game or struggling to improve their skills. Perseverance can help them persist in training and maintain a positive attitude despite these difficulties.
- Optimism: An optimistic attitude can help a pickleball professional approach each game with a positive mindset, focusing on the potential for success rather than dwelling on past mistakes or losses.
- Wisdom: A pickleball professional with wisdom can make informed decisions about their training, strategy, and approach to the game based on their knowledge and experience.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others can help a pickleball professional communicate effectively with teammates, coaches, and opponents, building positive relationships and resolving conflicts.
- Responsibility: Taking responsibility for one’s actions and decisions can help pickleball professionals maintain control over their training and performance and build trust and respect with others.
- Trustworthiness: Being honest and reliable can help a pickleball professional build a positive reputation and earn the trust of coaches, teammates, and fans.
- Respect: Showing consideration for others’ feelings, wishes, and rights can help a pickleball professional build positive relationships with teammates, coaches, and opponents, as well as earn the respect of fans and supporters.
- Integrity: A pickleball professional with integrity can maintain their ethical standards and moral principles, even in challenging situations or when facing pressure from others.
- Patience: In a fast-paced sport like pickleball, patience can be a valuable professional asset. It can help them stay calm and composed during long, intense rallies, waiting for the right opportunity to make a strategic shot or take advantage of an opponent’s mistake. Patience can also help professionals recover quickly from setbacks or losses, focusing on the next game or tournament rather than dwelling on past mistakes.
- Gratitude: Cultivating gratitude can help pickleball professionals appreciate their opportunities and support, stay positive, and maintain a healthy perspective on their successes and setbacks.
Let’s Have Some Fun! A Mnemonic: POWER TRIP
Observe the sequence of these virtues, which conveniently spells POWER TRIP with a “G” at the end. Among these, I firmly assert that Gratitude holds a significant place. Although I may consider writing a detailed explanation of the “science” behind “gratitude” being the most important of all these listed virtues in another blog post, Gratitude presents itself as an essential virtue, profoundly needed to be woven into the fabric of humanity’s heart and soul independently. In addition, the virtues of Perseverance, Optimism, Wisdom, Empathy, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Respect, Integrity, Patience, and Gratitude form a comprehensive framework for personal and professional growth.
Memorizing the List Through a Story: POWER TRIP – G
Once upon a time, a group of pickleball players from Coaches Corner embarked on a POWER TRIP to the national championships. They faced many challenges along the way, including injuries, tough opponents, and travel delays.
Despite setbacks, they persevered with determination and a never-give-up attitude. They remained optimistic, focusing on the best possible outcome and the most hopeful aspects of the situation.
Their years of experience and wisdom helped them make sound judgments and decisions, both on and off the court. They showed empathy towards their teammates, understanding and sharing their feelings and experiences.
As a team, they took responsibility for their actions and decisions, always striving to do their best and improve. They maintained trustworthiness, being honest and reliable in their words and actions.
Respect for their opponents, teammates, and the game of pickleball was at the forefront of their minds. They showed integrity, staying true to their values and moral principles.
The players remained patient on the court with an “I can dink all day long” – waiting for that moment to strategically attack – in addition to accepting delays, trouble, and even the suffering of injuries without getting angry or upset. They never lost sight of their gratitude for the opportunity to play this beloved sport, showing appreciation for every moment they had in The Coaches Corner!
In the end, their POWER TRIP paid off, and they emerged victorious, not only as champions but as exemplars of the virtues that make pickleball a sport that brings out the best in people, truly “a metaphor for a happy life.”
A Conclusion
By consciously working to develop these virtues, pickleball players can improve not only their skills on the court but also their overall quality of life. These qualities can help to inspire and uplift others and to promote pickleball as a sport that embodies constant personal growth.
References:
Aristotle. (1985). Nicomachean ethics. Hackett Publishing Company.
Bhikkhu, H. (2012). The path to enlightenment. Windhorse Publications.
Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Strengths of character and well-being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(5), 603–619. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.23.5.603.50748
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. American Psychological Association.
Additional References to Consider:
Bryant, F. B., & Veroff, J. (2007). Savoring: A new model of positive experience. Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315823280
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.
Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930302297
Niemiec, R. M. (2013). Mindfulness and character strengths: A practical guide to flourishing. Hogrefe Publishing.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.
Peterson, C., Park, N., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2005). Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: The full life versus the empty life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-004-1278-z
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2009). Values in action (VIA) classification of strengths. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed., pp. 411–419). Oxford University Press.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Atria Books.
Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410
