1000%

Better yet, give it your all.

Coach Keller was finishing his halftime speech.

“Gentlemen, it’ll be a close game if you let it. If you were to give 110% for the next 24 minutes, the game is in the bag, and along with it, the District Championship. You better believe the other side will be giving a solid 120%. You just have to want it more. Questions?”

“Uh, yes sir,” Ripp the punter said. “Um, not sure how to give more than 100 percent of anything, Coach. Math major here. Giving it your all is giving it your all, isn’t it? I mean, the other side is good, but how can they be giving more than all they have? It’s like saying, go out there and give 1000%. It just doesn’t make sense. Why not, 10,000% then? Your all’s your all, isn’t it?”

“Ripp, you make a good point. So noted. Now, listen up, gang. You just need to want to win this game more than they do. Forget percentages for now. Do you want it more?”

Ripp raised his hand again.

“Yes, Ripp?”

“Coach, do we have someone on the inside over there that knows how much they wanna win?”

“Oh look, guys,” Coach Keller said, checking his watch. “Time to get back out there. 1-2-3, let’s win. Ready? 1-2-3!”

“Let’s win!” fifty team members roared back and exited the locker room.

“Oh, just a minute, Ripp,” Coach Keller said. “I think we can assume they want it more than we do.”

“But you said…”

“Tell you what, Ripp, get out there and punt it further than you’ve ever done before. You do that and I’ll answer your questions. Can you do that, Ripp?”

“You mean like me giving 110%, Coach?”

“No need, Ripp. Just punt it far.”

*******