So we are getting down to the very competitive play of conference.  Everyone is dealing with balancing the many final assignments being thrown on us by our professors and the practices and games that capture our heart and soul.  Every team is out to attain that one common goal of a national title, and each player breathes every breath thinking of this and spends every night dreaming about the possibilities.  Every athlete is stretched thin physically and emotionally and digs deep inside themselves to find the passion and fight to overcome any obstacles put in their way.  And this is when the season gets fun.

The further into the season we go, the more competitive are the games and the more our hearts feel the pressure and the roller coaster of emotions that come with it.  But these feelings, these struggles are what make the game worth playing.  It is this part of the season that reveals the teams that have the ability to fight until the bitter end, the teams that are willing to go beyond what is expected, the teams that have the heart and passion required to win a national championship.  Because at this point; it is no longer about talent.  Every team is good.  Every player has a physical edge.  The one thing that separates a winning team from a losing team at this point is the mind.  The teams that play with their hearts and souls are the ones that come out victorious.  The teams that refuse to accept defeat are the ones that come out victorious.  The teams that truly believe in their minds that they are not going to lose are the ones that come out victorious.  The heart is the most valuable weapon in this game.  Whether or not a team chooses to use this weapon is the determining factor of a victory or a defeat.

This task is hard.  It is a difficult thing to strive for excellence.  Not because excellence is so unattainable, but because it is a scary thing to try.  When you work every day with every thing you have in you so that you can reach the excellence you can almost taste, and you finally reach that goal, there is no greater feeling.  But when you give all you have and are defeated, the pain is that much worse.  It takes the breath out of you.  It leaves a hole in your gut.  It keeps you immobile and in a state of numbness.  This is not inviting.  It is miserable.  And striving for excellence is like inviting these painful feelings.  It plants the risk in your heart for the emotional struggles that come with failure.  It is not logical to set yourself up for this kind of disappointment.  No one wants that; therefore, not many will put themselves in this position.  Not many will strive for excellence.  It is simply not worth the pain.  But it is exactly this mindset that keeps so many from their goals.  It is the fear of failure that keeps many from pursuing excellence.  The teams that stand out are the teams that strive without fear.  They are not afraid of the pain that may come if failure arrives.  They are only focused on reaching excellence.  The fear is buried by the desire.  This is what the Ragin' Cajuns will strive for.  This is what will give us an edge.  This is how we will come out victorious.  Because every team works everyday on the physical game, but we focus more importantly on our mental game, our emotional game, and the preparation of our hearts.  We will win with our minds.  We will be victorious.  It is a part of our souls.