There are things you can do as a player to make sure you keep

The veteran of the gridiron, Matthew Slater, once spoke words that may at first sound practical, even ordinary: “There are things you can do as a player to make sure you keep yourself warm. Obviously, continue moving on the sidelines when you’re not in the game, utilize modern technology with the heated benches.” Yet hidden in this simple guidance is a profound truth about resilience, preparation, and the unyielding discipline required to endure both the cold winds of sport and the harsher storms of life.

To keep yourself warm is not only to guard against the biting chill of winter’s air, but to keep the fire of readiness alive within your spirit. For in life, as in the game, there are long stretches when one is not in the spotlight, not on the field of action, yet the call may come at any moment. The one who grows cold in such times, who allows stillness to freeze the body and numb the will, will falter when their chance arrives. But the one who keeps moving, even on the sidelines, remains ever ready, their strength preserved for the moment it is most needed.

Slater reminds us that readiness is not only about what we do in the heat of battle, but about what we do when we are waiting. The player who paces the sidelines, who jumps, stretches, and breathes with intention, is not idle — he is forging resilience. So too in life: the worker between opportunities, the artist between creations, the soldier between wars must continue to move, to sharpen their skills, to fan the flame of their spirit. For when the time of testing arrives, it is too late to prepare; preparation must already be alive within you.

His mention of modern technology with heated benches speaks also to the wisdom of using what resources we are given. In ages past, warriors wrapped themselves in furs, sailors huddled by fires, and monks meditated to endure the cold of the mountain air. Today, athletes have heated benches and garments designed to preserve strength. The lesson is this: do not scorn the tools of the present age. Use what is available to you, wisely and with gratitude, for such aids exist to preserve your strength for the true battle. Yet never rely on them alone, for the core of endurance is always within the self.

History reflects this same truth in the campaigns of Napoleon’s army in Russia. His soldiers, unprepared for the brutal winter, perished by the thousands because they had not guarded themselves against the cold. Strength and strategy were useless when their bodies froze. By contrast, the Russian soldiers, hardened by the climate and practiced in the art of keeping themselves warm, endured where others fell. It was not only weapons that determined victory, but the discipline of survival in the face of the elements.

The lesson for us all is clear: in life’s cold seasons — whether they be literal winters or the winters of failure, waiting, or obscurity — you must find ways to keep moving. Do not allow stillness, bitterness, or despair to rob you of readiness. Pace your own sidelines, practice your craft, tend your inner fire. Use the tools and wisdom of your age to strengthen yourself, but remember that technology is no substitute for willpower. The true warmth that sustains you must come from within.

Practical wisdom follows: when you are waiting for your chance, do not waste your time in idleness. Train your body, discipline your mind, nurture your spirit. In moments of hardship, find small actions that keep you moving — a step forward, a breath of courage, a discipline repeated each day. These will preserve your strength until your moment arrives.

So remember, O listener, the words of Matthew Slater: “Continue moving on the sidelines… utilize what is given to stay warm.” Let them remind you that endurance is not found only in moments of glory, but in the quiet times of waiting, where discipline and preparation preserve the soul. Keep moving, keep ready, and when your time comes, you will step into the field not as one who has grown cold, but as one aflame with strength and prepared to prevail.