Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
Is freight management a contact sport?Unlike the literal heavy-lifters in our industry who actually load and unload physical freight, we spend most of our days in front of a telephone lifting little more than the telephone and a few pieces of paper. But, talk to any great athlete, and they will tell you that “90% of the game is mental.”
Yes, athletes need to have natural talent and physical strength, but what makes them great are other qualities: dedication, focus, discipline and a willingness to learn. Particularly in contact sports, great athletes must be able to strategize and communicate well with the team. They must also be reliable; people are literally depending on them “not to drop the ball”. Our jobs may not require much physical prowess, but a great logistics broker must have the same strong character as an elite athlete.
Matchmaker Logistics recently hired a new member of our team. And, although we interviewed people with industry experience, in the end, we hired Tony Ferreira, a former professional lacrosse player. Click here (and scroll to the bottom) to read more about Tony’s background.
If you are not familiar with lacrosse (as comedian Robin Williams once said: “I thought lacrosse was what you find in la church“), the game originated with Native American tribes. It had religious significance, it was used to train warriors, and sometimes, the game was even played as a way to settle disputes between tribes instead of going to war.
Today’s version of lacrosse if often compared to hockey, only it’s played on a field instead of ice, using balls instead of pucks. As far as contact sports go, it ranks up there as one of the toughest and the bloodiest. The T-shirts say: “Donate blood. Play lacrosse.”
The other day, I met a business contact who already knew Tony; they had played on the same local basketball league together. When he learned I had hired Tony, he told me this story: “I’ll never forget Tony because he was playing opposite my best friend and the two of them collided on the court. They both had big, bloody gashes on their foreheads. My friend left the game and headed to the urgent care. Tony slapped a piece of duct tape on his head and kept on playing!”
I proudly replied: “That’s my boy!” And that’s precisely why I hired Tony. He can learn the logistics and transportation industry; after spending my entire adult life in the industry, that’s something that I (and others) can teach him. And I’d rather teach “the tricks of the trade” than try to teach someone character.
Tony has already proven that he has the confidence, the attitude, and the mental toughness of a shipper sales warrior. As John Wooden said: “Sports do not build character; they reveal it“. Please join us in welcoming Tony to Matchmaker Logistics by sending him a ‘Hello’ on Facebook or Twitter. You can read more about Tony and all of our staff by clicking here.
Find your inner warrior this weekend,
~Bob
