His “bandwagon” has always had a lot of passengers and continues to gather more as he completes his illustrious career with the New York Yankees. Just beginning and ending with the same team these days is a big accomplishment … maybe that says as much about who Derek Jeter is as anything.

I read a Jeter quote the other day that illustrates what has had him be so successful in his career and every other aspect of his life. It goes like this:

“The key to (postseason) success is that you are not afraid to fail.
I am not afraid to fail. I’ve done it quite a bit”.
Derek Jeter

I have been saying the same thing for some time now. It’s not counter to Derek’s quote but perhaps might provide you a little more depth. Here is a little background.

When we are performing there are three basic domains we draw on to perform at the highest level. As a long-time observer of and participant with talented athletes, it seems to me that you can be very good at something if you are great at any two of the three. Let’s see what you think. To be great takes all three.

The three domains are skill, talent and ability.

SKILL—This is an area where we tend to improve the most. Practice, practice, learn and practice with a little innovation thrown in. Maybe the skill is applying the skill expertly?

TALENT—Sorry, but you have what you have. Oh, you will get bigger and stronger which does make a difference, but there may only be one Mr. Jeter. The question is, “Do I fully access my talent?” I think the willingness to test the limits of our talent is key here.

ABILITY—Ability is to be able to fully access our skill and talent regardless of the circumstances … it is the key to greatness. Whether it’s game seven of the World Series or game 59 of a 162 game season, shooting a 67 on a cold, windy day with the championship on the line or Sunday morning with your pals.

Those chronicled plays in the World Series by Derek Jeter were just him “doing his thing.” The Greats want to risk being great on a big stage or maybe it is just another stage to them.