Participants & Observers

How easy it seems to be to be an armchair critic.  To declare what should have happened fro the stands.  To imply that I would do it better.
I have no problem earning from others.  Acknowledging that my big picture view informs mee.  I personally reckon it is great to learn from others.
What I do have difficulty with though is criticizing when I am not the one out on the playing field.  My admiration is for those giving it a go.  They may not be the best, but they are giving it their best.
When someone beat me at table tennis (which happened all to regularly) it was always a deserved and hard fought for win.   For a time, I got coaching from Chile’s number one player.  Probably just as well really that I got the coaching as I was still too easy to beat.
But there were a couple of young fellas.  Brothers.  One was a natural and the other worked hard to get where he got.  I must admit I was always cheering for him when he played.  I knew it was just by hard work he had gotten where he had gotten.  The other I felt squandered his ability.  It seemed to come too easy.  It was taken for granted.
While I have always been one to acknowledge good play and marvel at ability no matter where it came from I have always gone for the one I knew worked the harder.  I knew that person was more inclined to appreciate something they did well.
I see the same is true whatever the endeavour.  I remember hearing someone ages ago saying, “I’m sick of potential.”  For me a hard fought for win is always more satisfying than an easy win. 
An easy win may draw on the same learned skills but strength is shown best the more it is called on.
I remember a champion squash player being double booked. He had 10 minutes to beat me or he would forfeit the game that meant more to him.  He did it with time to spare.  I was not really a challenge even though I gave I my best shot/.  The next person was.
He was not an armchair champ.  He was a get down and dirty one.  I did nt like losing but he had my admiration.  (I was part of a team.  We called ourselves “The Constellations.”  We thought we were a group of stars.  Turned out in our heads only.)
To me a person needs to be in it to win it.  Prizes go to participants and not observers.  To me someone giving it their best hot is a winner.  Some of us just make up the numbers.  But numbers are the only way champs can rise to the top.