Joe Namath Believed in Himself

The key to unleashing the belief that lifted his talent occurred when Joe Namath was eight years old. He came home with his first team uniform for the Elks’ Little League baseball team. Namath’s biography recounts the exchange that occurred between young Joe and his father, John:

“That’s real nice, son. Fits you good.”

Joey was the smallest kid on that team. He was the youngest, too, probably by a year. “You know, Daddy, those other kids are so good,” he said, “They’re bigger than I am … I don’t have a chance.”

“Well, you take that uniform off right now,” his father said, “Take it back to the manager and tell him that you can’t make the team because the other boys are better than you are.”

Joey looked at his father with those said, dreamy eyes. “Oh, no, Daddy. I can’t do that.”

“If you can’t make the team, what’s the use of keeping the uniform?”

“But, Daddy,” he said, “they’re so good.”

“You’re good, too. You can field grounders. You can hit the ball. You know where to make the places.”

John gave the boy a choice: return the uniform or practice with the team. If, after the practice, he didn’t feel that he was better than every other kid, he should quit.

Joey said he’d try.

As it happened, he turned out to be the best player on that Elks team.