Rules of the Red Rubber Ball

One of my beloved teachers gave me a gift this past week at graduation: a small pocketbook called Rules of the Red Rubber Ball [whose content greatly exceeds the book’s physical size]  I’m incredibly grateful for this gift.  This book offers guidelines to helping one find their passion and tips that bring one closer to these goals.  Truly a joy in itself and a must read.

The story begins with the author, Kevin Carroll’s reflection about his work in the field of sports.  Carroll begins by introducing a quote said by James Michener, “

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.  He hardly knows which is hcihw.  He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.  To him he’s always doing both.”  

That’s beautiful quote.  As I was typing that quote out, it continued to resonate even deeper with me. To make work feel like play.  Carroll then explains how he felt lost as a child, after his parents abandoned him before the age of six and he was sent to live with his grandparents.  After moving in with his grandparents, Carroll explored the neighborhood which is when he discovered the playground and his talent in sports.  His career in sports began on the playground, playing various sports with local kids. He played various sports throughout all the seasons and he found he had a lot of talent in many of them such as basketball, football and soccer.  However, the neighborhood playground lacked a red rubber ball, so each day, Carroll dreamed that he would one day own one.

Sports began to fuel his dreams…he knew he wanted to do something with sports, whether that be an athlete or a trainer.  His dreams about a red rubber ball became Kevin Carroll’s “powerful symbol of sport”, which he chased after.  Following high school, Carroll was positive he wanted to go into sports, so he participated on soccer teams and even joined the army so he could go to Germany and join a soccer club there.  When he was injured, he got himself a degree in sports medicine and eventually became the head trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers.  Then he worked at Nike, where his sole job was to inspire designers and “push their creativity to the limit”.  Carroll found pleasure in this.  To him, his job was his play and he enjoyed it.  It didn’t matter whether he was on the field, with injured athletes or working at Nike…Carroll found his happiness in the field of sports and this passion/goal became his red rubber ball.   

Carroll then asks the readers a series of questions with the purpose of helping readers find their red rubber ball [or your passion].  I’ve listed them here:

1. What’s your primal source of joy?
2. What topics do you love to discuss and ponder?
3. What dreams do you chase?
4. What in life do you find irresistible? A source of inspiration?  A reason to get out of bed?
5. What activites enthrall you?
6. What would you do for free?
7. What’s your red rubber ball?

Finding your red rubber ball is only half the battle.  After identifying their passion, following it requires strength, but with commitment and dedication, nothing can derail your goals.  Carroll then states 7 tips that have helped him follow his passion.  He offers different stories from his own experience that helped shape these guidelines he follows. I encourage you to read this book for those exact details:)

7 tips for following your red rubber ball from Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.

    The second tip states that one should seek out encouragers and supporters along the way.  In essence, these supporters are your teachers and your parents.  I graduated from Middle School this past Wednesday and I want to take a moment to honor my teachers and educators.  They have all leveraged my sense of self and my goals in some way and they have listened to me in my times of struggle, giving me advice on how to act. They have all contributed to my life in an ineffable way.  All I can say is that I will forever remember my amazing supporters.  A special shoutout to my advisor, math and english teacher!

Most importantly, I’d like to thank my parents.  I never do this enough, but I wouldn’t be the person I am today without their constant dedication of time and energy to me. My dad takes time out of his day to drive our tennis machine onto the courts, letting me hit 300+ balls [we do multiple rounds], while he picks up and he’s not even playing!  My mom drives me to piano lessons every Saturday where she sits for 45 minutes every Saturday and she doesn’t get to play a single note!  I’m experiencing a sincere feeling of gratitude because my parents always seem to be acting selflessly, all for my sake, regardless of whether they benefit or not.  I’m deeply grateful.