“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” Colin Powell

On Saturday, September 9, 2023, I sat glued to the television as the young tennis player, Cori “Coco” Gauff competed at the 2023 U.S. Opens against Belarusian Aryana Sabalenka in New York City. With her breathtaking backhand swing, the world watched as 19-year-old Gauff defeated 25-year-old Sabalenka. We all witnessed Coco in her glory but what is the story behind her amazing performance? How did she reach this level of success?

To satisfy my curiosity, I watched a video titled, “Raising a Champion” by Coco’s parents, Corey and Candi Gauff. They shared how they put a plan in place for Coco to be successful. They shared how they put together a 10-year plan for Coco and how she became a champion in her 8th year exceeding the plan by 2 years.

Her parents also shared, from the age of 3 years old, they recognized Coco possessed talents that would require a high level of discipline; she was always ultra-competitive from a young age.  When Coco was in third grade, Corey and Candi Gauff made the difficult decision for Candi to quit her teaching job so they could return to Florida for Coco to train and be homeschooled. The couple committed to move from their 6000 square foot home in Atlanta, GA into two bedrooms in her parents’ home in Delray Beach, Florida. Corey Gauff stated, “The journey does not come without sacrifice.”

In 2015, Coco trained in France and was part of the Mouratoglou Academy. In 2018, she lost the first round in singles and doubles in Australia, but she went on to win the French Open. Candi Gauff’s advice to Coco was, “You have to fight! Don’t think about the win; think about all the little things that it takes to get you there.” She saw her words come to fruition at Wimbledon.

In an “article titled, “Why Preparation is Important to Your Success,” Lynda Le offers eight tips on how to prepare for success:

1. Understanding. Do you know the overall objectives and what you’re trying to accomplish?
2. Planning. Identify the tasks you need to complete and estimate how much time each task will take.
3. Listening. Be an active listener. Take the time to listen to others, their challenges, and preferences.
4. Pace yourself. Preparation isn’t all about seeing how fast you can get a job done; it’s more important to focus on doing it efficiently.
5. Problem-solving. Problems often arise; however, it is how you go about solving them that matters.
6. Efficiency. Efficiency and continuous learning are key to success.
7. Time Management. Preparation is sometimes overlooked; however, it is one of the most important things we need to do when planning for anything.
8. Focus. Focusing can help you avoid mistakes and keep your stress levels down.

We often bear witness to a person’s success and glory; however, we do not see the blood, sweat, tears, and failures a person endures behind the scenes. What are you preparing for? Whether it be a marathon, another specific sport (i.e., tennis, baseball, football, soccer, etc.) or maybe an exam, it takes grit. As Corey Gauff stated, “The journey does not come without sacrifice.”