To have some tough student-athletes is an opportunity to get to the next level and win championships. Winning is contagious and that is why coaches are always looking for the next tough kid in his/her school hallway. The first question that comes to a coach’s mind is if she is tough or is he tough. Coaches are always waiting for toughness to walk through that door during freshman orientation, so in three years, they will have a program that produces champions and produces college players. Toughness is something that you can’t coach out of an athlete, it has to already be inside of the person. Toughness will help give your student-athlete a first and second look from a college coach looking to fill their rosters. The bottom line is you have to be tough in the classroom as well as on the playing field. Toughness starts with book knowledge and the will to learn the game. That’s an ideal college recruit.