What's the difference between being excellent and elite?  Student-athletes at UT Permian Basin learned that yesterday from former US Navy SEAL turned motivational speaker Jared Ogden.
 
Student-athletes, coaches and staff members learned there are five outcomes to a situation; bad, average, good, excellent and elite.  So what is the difference between excellent and elite?  Excellent is who you are and how you do something.  It is something measurable. Elite is never being satisfied. Elite is what you do with your excellence.  It is taking the next step and sharing your talent with other people to make them better.
 
"I was really impressed with Jared and his ability to relate all of his info to student athletes.  We discuss a lot of the ideas that he presented to us with the team.  Our guys got to hear a message that is familiar to them and hopefully now have a better understnading of what we want from them," said baseball Head Coach Brian Reinke.  "I really felt that our guys will be able to implement the ideas and ideals presented by Jared into their life and be elite." 

The Falcons were told the five traits of being excellent were; balance, curiosity, tribal, know your why and share your scars.  Balance is knowing that not everything will go as you plan it, and having the anchors in your life set so that everything else is right and you are able to respond when something goes wrong.  Curiosity is always asking questions to better yourself and others.  Tribal is understanding everything is done for the good of the community, team, etc.  Knowing your why is knowing what your purpose is.  This can change over time but knowing your why will answer other questions like why or when.  Lastly, sharing your scars is sharing your experiences with others to help them achieve the best possible outcome and learning from what went right or what went wrong. 

Junior baseball player Tyler Vlasek said his biggest takeaway from how to take yourself from excellent to elite, "My favorite quote was, 'rising tides can raise any boat.'  To me it means no matter the obstacle you can get through it no matter what.  It could be the smallest fishing boat or a big cruise ship, the tides will rise the boat and if a team can work together like the tides can raise a boat, we can learn to be efficient like the Navy SEALs," said the junior.  

Ogden is from Atlanta, GA and is an Eagle Scout.  After high school, he attended the United States Naval Academy; graduated in 2004 and was commissioned as an Ensign.  His initial orders were to a Warship in San Diego and from there, he applied for and was accepted into BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition / SEALs), the rigorous Navy SEAL selection program, and graduated BUD/S Class 265.  After eight years of Active Duty and four deployments, he left the Naval Service in 2012.  His military awards include the Combat Action Ribbon and Bronze Star with "V" for Valor among other numerous Joint awards.  
 
He spent the next three years contracting in the defense industry during which time he also represented the Special Operations Community as a cast member on National Geographic Channel's Ultimate Survival Alaska for two seasons.  In March of 2015, Jared co-founded Triumph Systems and serves as their CEO today. Additionally, he is an advisor to Senator Johnny Isakson (of Georgia) and sits on his Service Academy Selection Committee.  Jared holds a Master's in Business Administration from Washington University in St Louis, and most recently represents the local business community through his selection into St. Louis's 40 Under 40.