Why Rugby is one of my greatest source of inspiration

Leonard Mugaisi with the ball

They say rugby is a hooliganism game that is played by real smart gentlemen. To many,rugby is a harsh and unfair game,but being a sport passionate,this is the only game that i played and totally felt 100% satisfied.Unfortunately i was forced to early retirement from active rugby by an injury,but my love for the game is still intact. Rugby had an impact on my life from my mentality to my behaviour in general my personality.
These lessons that i have learnt from rugby are not only crucial in the entrepreneurship world but in general life. Here they are:

Dedication.

Rugby training routine is one of the hardest among all sports,you need to combine athletics and serious weight lifting,just watch the players training and you will  be impressed with their dedication. Building the endurance required for rugby means putting in the hours every day.  Staring and growing a business requires 100% dedication. The dedication i developed during my rugby playing days is a big boost to me in my entrepreneurship ventures.

Time and schedule. 

Rugby favours those who are strong and physically fit. You have to pump hours lifting those weights,press-ups etc. You cant fail to practise and expect to play,you have to commit and adhere to your training schedule.I remember during my playing times in high school,we would wake up @4 am without failure every weekend to practise.We lacked mass but this helped us reach National levels and we would upset big teams(Long live MASURA-Meru school). This is applies business in a big way.Great pitches, great products,unique ideas and great teams don’t just appear overnight. They take time to build. It is that commitment to investment of time that creates value.

Internal motivation.

Have you ever though what rugby players pass through? broken and twisted hands, legs and muscles,bruises all over,do you think a commitment of this level can come from the outside — it must come from within. The same holds true for building a successful business. It must come from an internal desire to operate at your absolute best.

 Teamwork.

Rugby is a sport that 80% is teamwork and 20% individual brilliance. During my high school days we would always hang out together as a rugby team.During free time you would naturally find rugby players together. This is because we had developed a strong bond since we all had the same passion. Starting a business requires that you develop a strong team, a team that you not only meet in the office but you also get to hang out together.This will enhance team bond and a better understanding with each other.

Confidence. 

Being selected in the school team when in form two enabled me build confidence. Not because i was that super good but because i was never afraid of the senior players-i redefined my limit. The thing about redefining your limits is every time you break a limit and reach a new one, you build more confidence. That confidence lets you break the next limit and the next limit and on and on. Redefining your limits is what makes great athletes — and great entrepreneurs.”

I thank you all for your support during the launch of SocialPRO club,at U.o.N school of business on 25th Oct.  I invite you all again as we shall be launching our pilot phase in this month