Going for It on Fourth Down: Lessons in Courage, Sobriety, and Self-Trust
Excerpt:
When life feels like fourth and one, you’ve got two options: play it safe or go for it. Choosing courage—whether in sport, sobriety, or entrepreneurship—means trusting yourself enough to take the shot, no matter the outcome.
Fourth and One Moments
As a former athlete, I know what it feels like to stand at the line on fourth down. The crowd is loud, the pressure is high, and you have to decide—punt it away or go for it. Those moments don’t just happen on the field. They show up in life after sport, in business, in relationships, and especially in sobriety.
Fourth and one is about risk. It’s about deciding if you’re willing to take the ball and live with the outcome. And here’s the truth: the people who inspire me most aren’t the ones who always succeed, but the ones who keep showing up knowing they might fail.
Courage Over Comfort
When I started Clean Play Coaching, I didn’t feel ready. I walked into my first interview underprepared and unsure. But going for it taught me something: readiness isn’t the requirement—willingness is. That same courage carried me through my basketball career, where I had to get up early, stay late, and trust that the reps would pay off even when the results weren’t guaranteed.
Sobriety gave me another fourth and one. Early on, I realized it wasn’t just about removing alcohol—it was about choosing a deeper, truer version of myself. That meant taking risks in relationships, launching new projects, and saying yes to opportunities that scared me.
What Going for It Really Means
Here’s what I’ve learned about fourth and one moments, on and off the court:
It’s not about fearlessness. Fear is always there. Courage is choosing anyway.
You have to live with both outcomes. Celebrate the wins, but also own the losses without letting them define you.
Preparation matters. Success and failure both come down to the reps you’ve put in long before the spotlight.
Identity is bigger than results. You’re not just the shot you make or miss. You’re who you become through taking it.
Sobriety is a practice of resolve. It asks you to go deeper, to trust yourself, and to build resilience when it’s easier to play small.
Choosing the Next Loving Decision
The beauty of sobriety, and really of life, is that we get to choose who we want to be. Each fourth down moment is a chance to decide—will I punt this away, or will I trust myself enough to go for it?
There’s no guarantee. Sometimes you’ll make it, sometimes you won’t. But the willingness to step into those moments, to take the shot, to go for it—that’s where growth lives.
And every time you choose courage over comfort, you build the muscle of self-trust that carries you into whatever game comes next.
