Skill and Will: A Lesson from the Boston Bruins

Two days of sunny, clear weather graced the 2011 Apprentice Skills Assessment Rodeo, which was held in mid-June at NEPPA’s training center at the Pascoag Utility District in Rhode Island. More than 60 apprentice students participated in activities which featured nine separate events over one and a half days. This year’s Rodeo will probably be remembered by one and all as the "Stanley Cup Rodeo," since the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks played game seven of the Stanley Cup finals on the first night of the Rodeo, with most of New England (and NEPPA apprentices) cheering the Bruins on to victory and then joining in the celebrations that followed.

At the conclusion of the Rodeo, Steve Socoby, NEPPA trainer and apprentice instructor, drew some valuable lessons from the Bruins victory as he spoke to the apprentices. It was, he said, like so many other competitions, a battle of skills and will, with the talented Canucks ultimately losing to a team that brought more passion and willpower to the contest. As in hockey, he reminded them, so it is in any field of endeavor. Individuals who are determined, who grind it out, who refuse to quit, will always find a way to succeed, whether or not they possess all the skills of their more gifted opponents.

This powerful combination of determination and effort, displayed so well by the Bruins, was on display throughout the Rodeo, as young apprentices performed difficult and dangerous tasks high in the air. For many of them, it was the triumph of confidence over fear, through constant practice and repetition and the support and encouragement of their fellow lineworkers. As Steve Socoby said, skill is evident to everyone, but will is hidden and can only be seen over a period of time. It is, however, within everyone’s grasp, as the Bruins showed us all on June 15^th.