Millennials

While reading the article ‘Today's NFL is played by soft millennials’  I found that the generation before the millennials have a strict belief that millennials are soft and unwilling to do the hard things.

This is a class of players that feel like they deserve so much more. I don’t know if the work ethic is still there. I think these guys want to win, I think they want to be good players, but are you willing to do the hard stuff? This ‘I’ll ease into the game’ type of attitude is just not good enough. You have to be able to step up there and make it happen. (Smith, 2013)

Based on the quote the characteristics between generation x and generation y creates a boundary between players and coaches. The characteristics of generation x is team-oriented, more engaged when working and has a higher potential for career development. Initially,  I thought that generation xers were not willing to put in the work to achieve their goals. 

What I learned from my research about the generation y’s, or millennials, is that “based on personality surveys showing increased narcissism among Millennials compared to preceding generations when they were teens and in their twenties”. Also, my findings included, “the narcissism of introverts, characterized by an acute sense of self-entitlement and defensiveness” (Longman, 2016). This selfishness I felt is probably what makes generation y so different from others. In a sport such as a football, being an individual is never going to work in your favor. Being an individual and putting yourself above the team is being seen as selfish, weak and undisciplined.