#27 What Could Be More Important Than Talent? (You'll Never Guess) with Bassam BEIDAS

ATHLETE CASE STUDY | Feb 4, 2015

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BACKGROUND

Today we will be talking with Bassam BEIDAS of Lebanon. He is a tennis player who played for a college in the United States and is now a professional. He has been rehabilitating his injury that has caused him to be absent from competition and plans to make a comeback. We will get into his story of how he got started, his struggles, light bulb moments, and some of the requirements he had to follow as an athlete while attending Pepperdine University and how proper eating habits translate to better performance. We will also talk about the feeling and emotional aspects of having an injury and the attitude to have when making a comeback,
being RESILIENT and RELENTLESS.

BIO

Born, Bassam BEIDAS, in London, England on December 26, 1988.
Grew up in Cairo, Egypt, currently living in Beirut, Lebanon. Bassam is of Lebanese descent, but due to the Civil War in Lebanon, his family resided in Egypt. He has two older brothers and an older sister.
#20 ITF Juniors Ranking (Under 18)
Three time NCAA All-American and ranked 11th in singles at Pepperdine University. Graduated from there in the Summer of 2011. Immediately entered the pro tour post graduation. Has a Career High ATP Ranking of 499.

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MOST GRATEFUL TODAY FOR:

"The fact that I am physically capable to continue to pursue my dreams despite my injuries." -BB

PERSONAL QUOTE:

"Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail" - Roy Keane (Footballer for Manchester United)

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN YOUR LIFE:

"My parents for giving me opportunities in tennis that most people wouldn't get where I grew up. They didn't motivate or push me because I did most of that myself, but they opened doors for me." -BB

Key Discussion Points

What is an example of a daily diet you followed at Pepperdine University?
What was one of your biggest failures or struggles that you had?
When was your light bulb moment?
When was your proudest moment?
Being able to attend college in the US, what are some of the things that stood out to you in that made your experience great?
What’s got you most excited these days?
What can we see coming from you in the future?

Key Lessons

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of reaching peak performance
When it is game time, clear your mind before you even get to the courts, and leave all negative thoughts outside of the arena

“..I didn’t leave it in the locker room, so when I walked out to play the singles, I was still in that crappy mindset where I was just in a haze and I lost the singles match.” BB @ 16:49

If you are one of the older or more experienced on your team, fulfill that role and be the leader, hold others accountable
As a collegiate athlete, you have to be able to handle constructive criticism
Injuries have a way of opening our eyes and seeing the bigger picture
As a competitive person, if you want to achieve the highest levels, compare yourself to the best in the world, and work to reach their level
The college/athletics system in the United States provide many opportunities to those foreign to the country

“From the moment I set foot there, the way they take care of you, you have people helping you plan your classes, helping you study, helping you get through your classes, the coaches are willing to help if you ask them to, it was kind of a family atmosphere.” BB @ 28:06

Life is about taking risks and making choices to find your way or path in life
Getting a degree in college will give you more opportunities after your athletic career is finished
As an athlete, is it healthy to find some kind of balance between your school, athletic, and social life
Under 100 people a year make a living from tennis
Always have a slight idea of what you want to be involved with when your athletic career comes to an end

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BASSAM’S TIP JAR

What is the best advice you have ever received?
No matter how bad you think you can be on tour, it's always better than the alternative

Sleep & Morning ritual:
Between 7 and 8 hours of sleep. The first thing I usually do when I wake up is roll my hips out and doing a couple of light exercises to get my hips moving in the morning.

What is one of the first things you do when you come to a new arena for competition?
Its usually a new country, I check out the area, find out where I can get my essentials, restaurants. Check out the courts, meet the trainer, physiotherapists, hits some balls, and sweat it out a bit on your first few days.

What personal habit do you believe contributed most to your success?
My intensity in training

Name one way that you like to improve yourself as a person
I like to read about things all across the spectrum

A learning resource you love to use…
I love using blogs and other such sites to keep up with the latest on strength and conditioning, rehab, and sports nutrition.

Give a tool/habit you love to use to stay healthy:
Well, at the moment I have been doing a lot of rehab for my back so I am in and out of the gym all the time. I also have my exercises I do at home but I spend plenty of time in the gym too.

A useful tool or tip for eating on the go -OR- for traveling in general?
When I was travelling to tournaments I always took a foam roller with me and packets of nuts so I wouldn't have to go around searching for a healthy snack.

If you had a do over for you athletic career, and had all of the resources that are available to you now, what would you do differently so set yourself up for success?
I would have taken better care of my body and eating healthier earlier in life

What book would you give away as a gift and why?
Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom, there are a lot of lessons you can take from this book.

What's a cause or thing/action you like to do to add value to other peoples lives that you either know or don't know at all?
The last few years I have taken more of an interest in politics (from an Arab perspective mainly). I like to read a lot and transfer what I know and think to open other people's eyes to what really goes on in the world (usually via Facebook). I think my generation is becoming more politically aware than perhaps the one that came immediately before them and this can lead to positive changes in the world. I definitely have plans to contribute even more once I am settled in whatever I am going to do after tennis.