By
Sid E. Williams, B.S., D.C.
I
am pleased to report to you that chiropractic was well-represented in
the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Dr. Nell and I were there for several
days, and we were privileged to walk into the stadium with the Costa Rican
team during the opening ceremonies.
It took a lot
of last-minute finagling to get things arranged, but our credentials finally
came through just two hours before the event. Innate, as always, was working
for us.
Some people might
wonder why we at Life University spend so much time and money on athletics.
The answer to that is very simple. Throughout the history of humankind,
those men and women among us who possessed the greatest physical strength,
endurance and athletic skills have been revered and held up as models
for the rest of us to emulate. In the early days of the Olympics, champions
were treated almost as gods and they were put on pedestals. Statues of
them were erected.
We have changed
very little over the centuries. We still worship the best of the best
in athletics. That’s why athletes are pictured on cereal boxes, trading
cards, television and billboards – selling everything from automobiles
to vitamin pills.
We pay huge sums
of money to watch skilled professionals hit a baseball, throw a football
or make a 30-foot putt because we are able to identify with the players
and vicariously enjoy these great achievements ourselves. When Hank Aaron
hit home run number 715 to become the all-time career leader, millions
of sports fans hit it with him and enjoyed the thrill of victory.
The point I’m
trying to make is that if golfer Tiger Woods says he eats Wheaties, then
millions of other people want to emulate him and eat Wheaties, too. And,
in the same way, if Tiger Woods, in accepting one of his trophies, announced
to the world that he owed it all to chiropractic, then tens of thousands
of people would flock to their local chiropractor’s office. Such
is human nature.
The
Power Of Positive Publicity
If we can win
the hearts, minds and bodies of the world’s athletically elite, then
we will win the hearts, minds and bodies of the rest of the world’s
people. It’s that simple. We want to be like our champions.
It was with this
fact in mind that we provided chiropractic care to athletes from a number
of countries as they competed for the gold in Sydney. And, I’m pleased
to say that our presence there generated quite a bit of interest from
other countries’ teams, who saw how effective chiropractic adjustments
were in helping athletes to achieve peak performance and even to recuperate
from an injury.
As a result of
the preliminary work we have done over the past few years, I predict that
at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, some 50 to 75 nations’
teams will be using chiropractors provided by Life University. At that
time, it will be very easy to compare the performances of chiropractically
supported athletes with those who do not receive adjustments. I have no
doubt that the difference in the number of medals won will be significant.
And wouldn’t that be a great PR achievement for chiropractic!
Life University’s
championship teams have attracted millions of dollars worth of positive
publicity for the institution and for chiropractic in general. People
look at us and see that the primary difference between our teams that
win and the other teams that lose is that we have the advantage of constant
chiropractic care. That sends a message that nobody can misunderstand.
Here, in Georgia,
because of our early support of the Georgia Games in providing space for
their headquarters on our campus, chiropractic is accepted by all involved
in the games and we have enhanced chiropractic’s image in all of
Georgia’s cities and towns.
Get
Involved In Local Sports
I urge every chiropractor
in the world to learn from these examples. If you’re not already
involved with your local sports teams, then get involved. Offer your skills
free of charge to Little League sports teams, local middle school and
high school teams, and to local college teams. Eventually, some of these
would be willing and able to pay you for your services, but whether you
ever get a direct check or not, you will get thousands of dollars worth
of free advertising for your practice.
If you have trouble
getting on board with the local teams, call us and we’ll help you.
We’ve heard all the arguments by officials who have bought into the
anti-chiropractic propaganda over the years, and we can help you get your
foot in the door. We have the answers. Then it’s up to you. If you
give the young athletes the best that chiropractic has to offer, they’ll
love you. And they’ll sing your praises to their teachers, their
parents, and to all of their friends and neighbors.
The Bible says,
"And a little child shall lead them …" When we win the
hearts, minds and bodies of the world’s children, then their parents
and other adults will come over to us, too.
Get busy! Show
the world what chiropractic can do. Give of your time and skills with
a Lasting Purpose mindset of love. Don’t worry about what’s
in it for you. Innate will take care of that part. Just give it all that
you’ve got and help that local football team to win the championship
and see what happens to your practice.
Will Rogers said,
"We can’t all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the
curb and clap as they go by." Apparently, he didn’t know about
chiropractors. We can all be heroes.
When you adjust
a key player and put him back in the game and he scores the winning point,
then he’s a hero. You made him a hero. And when you help make heroes,
then you are a hero.
People love heroes.
They’ll come to you in droves. And they’ll make you rich.
Do it!
Do it!
Do it!