Make it Happen

That door to your dream ain't opening itself.

Author

The Game Changer
October 30, 2025

🔥 Friday Fuel - October 31

📝 A Quick Thank You (and a New Idea We’re Trialling!)

A huge thank you to Kerry Pearce, one of our FYA community members, for a brilliant idea that got us thinking.

Kerry’s son keeps an athlete journal to record his notes, training, mindset, and learnings, and Kerry suggested it might be helpful to print off our newsletters so athletes can reflect on the key takeaways each week.

We thought that was a fantastic idea.

So this week, we’re trialling something new — a short PDF summary of the key points for athletes from this week’s newsletter.

We’ve kept it focused purely on what’s most relevant for athletes (not parents or coaches), but we’d love your feedback:
👉 Is this useful?
👉 What would make it better or easier to use?

Click below to download the trial version — and let us know what you think!

Making_It_Happen_Athlete_Version.pdf220.70 KB • PDF File

Then just reply to this newsletter to let us know if it works and how to make it better.

💬 Making it Happen

“You need to answer the phone — because I’m not going to stop ringing.”

Ben Sigmund didn’t start with a red carpet. He was in Melbourne’s state league, earning a decent paycheque, training hard, and (by his own admission) just figuring out what came next. Then, out of nowhere:

“You’ve been called up to the All Whites.”

He thought it was a wind-up.

It wasn’t.

There were so many injuries that the All Whites had no one for the bench.

Cue 46 hours of flights from Melbourne to Wales. He arrived jet-lagged, convinced he’d just make up the numbers… and then the coach said, “You’re starting.”

Wales rolled out bona fide stars — Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy among them — and Ben, at centre-back, had what he called a blinder. New Zealand weren’t supposed to be in it, but they were. Shane Smeltz banged in a double, Bellamy scored too, and Ben got his first real taste of the level he’d always imagined.

That taste flipped a switch.

Back in Australia, he decided: I’m going to make this happen.

So he picked up the phone and rang Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert.
No answer.

Rang again.

Still nothing.

Lunchtime after lunchtime he called, left messages,

Until finally:

“My last message was, ‘You need to answer the phone because I’m not going to stop ringing.’ The next time, he picked up.”

After a lot of convincing on Ben’s part, Herbert took a punt. One-year, minimum wage. No guarantees. Just a crack.

Even then, Ben wasn’t allowed to train with the squad at first.

“My body fat was too high. I ran laps for a month until I’d earned the right to train.”

So he ran. And ran. And showed up the next day and ran some more.
When he finally joined full training, he carried that same chip-on-the-shoulder grit into every session:

Here’s the part most people don’t know — Ricki Herbert didn’t even want him.
It wasn’t the “blinder” in Wales that won him a contract. It wasn’t fitness, or form, or hype.
It was the fight.

Those phone calls told Herbert something stats and scouting reports couldn’t:
this guy wasn’t going to give up.

And that’s what can make the difference — desire, hunger, passion, and a willingness to do whatever it takes. Traits worth taking a punt on because it shows up on the field.


It also takes courage and bravery — to risk rejection, to put yourself out there when no one’s calling back, and to keep showing up when it would be easier to walk away.

That’s the picture we want every young athlete (and parent) to see:

🏃‍♂️ A semi-pro gets an unexpected call-up and shows he belongs against top opposition.
🔥 Instead of drifting back to comfortable, he makes his dream happen through courage and passion and finding out what it takes.
💪 And when the door isn’t being opened, he’s brave enough to keep going until he gets what he wants — and then works so hard that he can’t be pushed back out the door he came through..

Once he got his foot in the door, Ben never let go of the same hunger that got him there.
That desire became his trademark — as a player, a leader, and later, a mentor.

He didn’t wait for someone else to hand him a dream.
He chased it down, knocked on the door, and kept knocking — until it opened.

Ben ended up playing 181 games for the Phoenix across 8 season, winning Player of the Year and becoming a club legend, and 31 games for the All Whites including the phenomenal World Cup qualifier against Bahrain that took them to the World Cup in 2010.

When you sit back and look closely at some of those moments it is almost a Rocky movie story.

That’s what it means to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Want to hear or watch the podcast with Ben? Scroll down a little to find it. 👇 It’s well worth it as Ben is super reflective and open about his failings and what he would change, and, as a life coach now, works with a host of youth athletes and really knows what works.

❔ Are you making it happen or waiting for it to happen?

That is my question to you today.

How many people do you know — especially young ones — who turn away after the first no?
Who get close, feel that sting of rejection, and decide maybe it wasn’t meant to be?

Or don’t even make the uncomfortable call in the first place?

Now flip it.

Who in the world do you know that keeps going?
Who wears every “no” like a badge of honour — proof they’re still in the fight — until they finally get a yes?

Those are the ones who build resilience. Who step toward discomfort instead of backing away from it.
Because what most people don’t realise is: the uncomfortable stuff — the cold calls, the awkward asks, the rejections — isn’t the long way around.

👉 It’s the shortcut to your true desires.

🧠 Practical Strategies to Make It Happen

All athletes — no matter the level — have something they want to improve.
Something they don’t yet understand.
An environment they wish they were part of - where the people and standards are so great it would make all of the difference to their dreams.

But here’s the truth: no one’s going to hand it to you.

It’s your job to make it happen.

This week, challenge yourself to take one uncomfortable step toward what you want.
Because growth doesn’t happen when it’s easy — it happens when you lean into the uncomfortable and take action anyway.

And here’s something to think about — there’s almost always a person who can help make it happen faster.
If you closed your eyes and imagined the ultimate person who could help your game — who would it be? Dream big and don’t hold back.

You will be surprised at how close that person actually is. Even if they live on the other side of the world. Then try this:

💡 Make Your Opportunity List:
1️⃣ Write down the ultimate person or thing that could help you reach your dream.
2️⃣ Then list #2, #3, all the way to #10.
3️⃣ Start at #1.
Make the call.
Send the message.
Ask the question.

4️⃣ Follow up. (Because “no reply” doesn’t mean “no.”) call, message, ask, learn. Imagine if you could just get half and hour with this person, or maybe even start to build a relationship.
5️⃣ Back it up. Put in the work and be ready to show what you have when the chance comes.

Remember. Every big break starts with one small, brave move.

Are you brave enough to make it happen?

🙌 A Real Example — Making It Happen in Real Life - Proud Dad Moment.

A few weeks ago, my son didn’t get asked to trial for his club’s U19 Nationals football team, even though some of his teammates did - he’s in the U17’s and I’ve spoken about some of his struggles and wins this season.

He could have been gutted. He could’ve sulked. He could’ve taken a holiday and waited until next year and told himself, “Maybe then.”

He nearly did. But he didn’t.

Instead, he picked up the phone. He called the coach of the U19’s, texted him, and kept following up — telling him he really wanted to get better and would do anything to improve.

He even said he’d come to trainings just to be an extra body, that he’d warm up, listen, and watch until he was needed.

So what do you think the coach said?

One. Big. YES.

Because what do coaches actually think when a player shows that level of desire?
Only positive things.

It’s impossible not to be impressed by someone who’s humble, hungry, and willing to do whatever it takes to learn.

He was invited to trainings.
He showed up.
He worked.
He got more minutes in games each training.

He learned the level.
He earned feedback and respect.
And every week, he got better.

Got great feedback about his play from the coaches and the older players. BOOM!

But it all started with one thing: he took the step.

And it’s rippled out beyond football.

At school, he’s now doing the same thing — sending essays back to teachers for extra feedback, rewriting them until they reach Excellence level, and making sure he understands exactly what it takes to stay there.

He’s not waiting for it to happen anymore.
He’s making it happen.

He just spoke yesterday about reaching out to a former NZ Sevens trainer that he has heard about to train his speed over summer.

💥 That’s what this mindset is starting to look like in real life — in sport, in school, in anything worth doing.

It’s not perfect - he’s still not always “making it happen” in regards to a clean room, leaving his socks in the lounge or picking up towels, but it is a darn sight better in the things that really matter to him.

He still may not make it but he’s making sure he tried everything. He took the step and it’s showing.

The first step is always the hardest. Every other one is easier.

🧠 This Week’s Challenge For Parents

For Parents:
Look, the best thing you can do for your child is to model the behaviour you want them to own.

So… show them what making it happen looks like in your own world.

💬 Is there a conversation you’ve been putting off?
📞 A person you’ve been meaning to reach out to?
🎯 A goal you’ve been thinking about but haven’t acted on?

Do one thing this week that stretches you — something a little uncomfortable, something that requires courage. Then tell your child about it.

Let them see that this mindset isn’t just for sport, it’s for life.

Because when they see you chasing growth, facing fear, and following through…
they learn to do the same.

Then, if you see them take a step to make it happen, and you know it was hard, let them know that you noticed and that it was brave.

You’re not just raising an athlete — you’re shaping a person who knows how to make it happen.

💬 Quote of the Week

No explanation needed this week, from someone who truly made it happen.

🔔 FYA & The Game Changer Update

This week we’ve been working on branding so that we can get some of our products to market. We would love your feedback. Hit reply and let us know what works and what words come to mind when you see it.

It’s still being tweaked but is nearly there. Exciting times ahead!

🎙️ Podcast News

Here is Ben’s podcast episode - his camera wasn’t the greatest but his story and insights are amazing. There is gold in here for young athletes (and older ones!), coaches and parents.

Click the pic to watch and enjoy…

💭 Final Thought

Every great story — whether it’s Ben Sigmund chasing his dream, a young athlete picking up the phone, or a parent taking that brave first step — starts the same way: with a decision to act.

It’s rarely convenient. It’s often uncomfortable.
But it’s always worth it.

So this week, don’t wait for the perfect timing, the right words, or someone else to open the door.

Take the step.
Make the call.
Do the thing.

Because the moment you decide to stop waiting…
is the moment you start making it happen.

Ben (and B)

FYA - Fueling Youth Athletes
🎙️ Home of The Game Changer Podcast