This wasn’t just something we said to sound tough. It’s how me and my team used to operate — it was the standard, plain and simple. Every guy in that locker room held every other guy accountable to it, and we pushed each other for greatness by doing our part, week in and week out. Nobody was exempt, and nobody wanted to be.
Today, we finish
If you went down, the guy next to you wasn’t there to feel sorry for you — he was there to get you up. And you did the same for him the next time it was his turn. That’s what “hoy no duele, mañana sí” actually meant on our team: today, we finish. Whatever’s aching, whatever got jammed or bruised — that’s a tomorrow problem. Today, we compete, all gas, no brakes.
Tomorrow, we heal
Then the final whistle blew, and we took care of each other and ourselves. We’d lick our wounds, ice what needed icing, and heal up so we’d be better for the next one. That’s the other half of the standard people forget — playing hurt isn’t the same as neglecting yourself. You give everything today, and then you actually let your body recover so you can do it again next week.
The trust it builds
That was the deal we made with each other: hold your brother accountable to finish today, and hold yourself accountable to heal right once the game’s over. Do both, and you build a team that trusts each other in the fourth quarter — because everybody’s already proven, over and over, that they’ll get back up.
You can build this same standard with the guys next to you right now. Say it out loud to your team this week. Hold each other to it. Then actually take care of yourselves once the whistle blows.
— Coach Fern