The 5-Year Athlete

Mindset, Growth & Long-Term Development

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”
— Charlie Jones

Be the Athlete You’re Meant to Be — 5 Years From Now

That quote hits hard—and for athletes, it’s especially true.

If you’re serious about improving your game, training your body isn’t enough.
You have to build your mind, your habits, and your environment too.

In today’s world, development doesn’t come from workouts alone.
It comes from what you consume—and who you surround yourself with.

Growth Comes From Exposure

Long-term improvement—physically and mentally—requires exposure to:

• Camps and clinics

• Training videos

• Books

• Coaching and mentorship

• Courses and continued education

Research consistently shows that growth accelerates when athletes are exposed to new ideas, challenges, and perspectives. Comfort zones don’t create progress—pressure and curiosity do.

Surrounding yourself with people and resources that challenge how you think is one of the most reliable predictors of long-term success.

A Quick Reminder From My Own Experience

Just recently, I received a couple of books from my own coach.

Not because I needed them.
Not because I was missing something obvious.

But because growth never stops.

It was a reminder that the best athletes—and the best coaches—invest in themselves continuously, not only when things are going wrong.

What You Control (And What You Don’t)

You control:

• Your actions

• Your effort

• Your preparation

• Your choices

You don’t control how others see you.
But you do control how hard you work to improve.

You don’t decide what a coach thinks.
But you can decide to be coachable, dependable, and prepared.

You can’t control what teammates say.
But you can choose to be authentic, selfless, and supportive.

Those traits compound over time—just like training.

Building the Athlete of the Future

Becoming a better athlete—and a better person—takes more than reps in the gym.

It takes intentional growth, like:

📌 Reading the book you’ve been putting off
📌 Watching higher-level training content
📌 Attending camps or clinics
📌 Asking for coaching when you need it
📌 Committing to education that sharpens your mindset

Every one of those decisions nudges your future self forward.

Final Thought

Five years from now, you won’t magically become a better athlete.

You’ll become the result of what you chose to learn, who you chose to listen to, and how seriously you invested in your growth.

Your future self depends on what you do today.

Make it count.

— Coach Shelby and The Shelby Trained Team