Turn excuses into opportunities

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Dan Oosterhous
  • Academy Men's Tennis head coach
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  In Basic Cadet Training, one of the seven basic responses to any question was, "No excuse, sir or ma'am." No matter the circumstance, a basic cadet is always late, wearing the wrong uniform or giving the wrong answer. When asked to explain my deficiencies as a cadet, my instinct was to defend myself, but I quickly learned there is only one correct answer: "No excuse." At the time, I didn't understand the point of this exercise but now, after 24 years of Air Force service and after spending the last six months recovering from two brainstem strokes, I have learned why the answer really is "No excuse."

What are excuses? Excuses are choices to shift blame from ourselves to someone or something else, and they're usually attributed to factors outside our control. Excuses prevent growth. Excuses prevent excellence. Excuses lead to mediocrity. Every time we make an excuse, we deny responsibility and rob ourselves of the chance to grow. By eliminating excuses, we can focus instead on a choice that is ours: Our attitude.

Four months after a second stroke left me nearly paralyzed on my left side, I spent a week at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as a Wounded Warriors Adaptive Sports Camp participant. I was fortunate to be part of an amazing program bringing together wounded active duty, guard and Reserve service members and veterans for rehabilitation through sports. I met warriors who lost limbs, suffered traumatic brain injuries, survived cancer or battle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I competed in a variety of sports, some of which I've never tried before: recumbent cycling, discus, shot put, swimming and wheelchair basketball. On the final day of the camp, the archery coach invited me to come out to the range. I was very reluctant to try archery. Unable use my left arm to stabilize the bow and shoot as a normal right-hander, I initially thought it would be a waste of time. Perfect time for an excuse, right? I certainly thought about it, until I looked around the room and saw service members who didn't make excuses. The coach pushed me, saying "No excuses! We will adapt!" While I couldn't use my left arm to hold the bow, I could use my left fingers to draw the string back and release the arrow, shooting left-handed. Even though I could only pull back a few pounds of tension, it was a great feeling to see the arrow leave the notch and head toward the target. For someone who has been a competitive athlete since the day he was born, I was thrilled to be using my left arm in a sport again!

Far more impressive was a young Airman who lost the use of his right arm to a shotgun blast. He had no feeling, no muscle tone and no finger function below the elbow. I could tell he wasn't sure about spending a morning at the archery range but the coach encouraged him with the same words: "No excuses! We will adapt!" This Airman made the right choice and rose to the challenge.

After the first wave of shooters finished a round of arrows, it was the Airman's turn. We all wondered how he would fire the bow but without hesitation, he sat on the floor, extended his legs, braced the bow horizontally between his feet, loaded the arrow and pulled back with his good arm, aimed and hit the target with great accuracy. Arrow after arrow. I could see the pride in his face and the amazement of everyone in the room. It was exciting, thrilling, emotional and inspirational--everything we imagine when we witness one of our own overcome doubt and achieve success. This Airman shows what can be accomplished when we choose a positive attitude instead of looking for a way out.

On or off the field of competition, much is out of our control. We will never have all the answers or all the time we need. We'll never experience perfect conditions. While we might be tempted to make an excuse for a less-than-ideal outcome, it is only our excuses holding us back. Excuses don't help us--positive attitudes followed by actions do. When we rid ourselves of excuses, there's no limit to what we can accomplish, whether it's firing an arrow one-handed or overcoming a tough mission in the face of danger. Looking back at my time as a cadet and knowing my role as an officer and coach, I now realize the value of the lesson I learned at the sports camp: To maximize our potential, take aim at the problem and turn our excuses into opportunities.