You Are More Than the Role You Perform
Retract the sporty cape
Give everything you do, without reducing yourself to what you do.
Editorial takeaway
My experience
I compare elite sport to putting on a superhero cape: on the field I am the athlete; away from it, I want to be simply human. In 2025, identity became a more prominent theme in coaching, my studies, and conversations about life after hockey.
Based on what I myself told in coaching conversations (2023–2025), editorially summarized. Source: Transcript, p. 14–15 en 964–965.
The essential lesson
You can be extremely dedicated to a role without making all your self-esteem dependent on it.
The core principle
Give everything you do, without reducing yourself to what you do.
Apply it
Reflection questions
- 1Which cape are you wearing?
- 2Who are you when you take off that cape?
- 3How much of your self-esteem hangs on one roll?
Editorial reflection questions, derived from the principle.
Practical exercise
- I'm on top of a leaf and fill in ten answers. How many of them are about performance or roles, and how much about who you are?
Editorial application: Newly designed exercise, no literal source material.
My reflection
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My next step
Meet your Inner Team
The characters behind this principle
An interpretive layer on “You Are More Than the Role You Perform” — the story and lessons above stay the heart of the principle.
The Fallen Hero
“Who am I if I can no longer do what defined me?”
Brings: profound reflection, honesty
Watch for: defining the future entirely through past loss
What remains valuable about me when my original plan changes?
The Good Man
“Who do I want to be when nobody is watching?”
Brings: integrity, compassion
Watch for: chasing an unrealistic ideal of moral perfection
What kind of person do I want my ambition to help me become?
Keep exploring