In our original video with Dr. Rob Bell, we — as a Mental Toughness Speaker and coach — walk through a simple but powerful idea: finding the good in bad situations. We tell the story of John Starks to show how setbacks can become the doorway to opportunity when we bring relentless work ethic and mental toughness to the recovery. Below we expand on that message, break down the lessons, and give practical takeaways for athletes, coaches, and anyone building mental resilience.

Why we look for good in bad situations

We start with a principle we repeat often: no matter how tragic something feels in the moment, some good is going to come out of it. That doesn’t mean pain isn’t real — it is — but it does mean outcomes aren’t fixed. As a Mental Toughness Speaker, our role is to help teams and individuals reframe setbacks so they can see possibilities instead of only loss.

John Starks: a case study in grit

John Starks didn’t follow a conventional path. He wasn’t a standout in high school, played community college ball, and only got one year at Oklahoma State because a coach noticed him. He barely had a role with the Golden State Warriors, played a couple of games, and was cut. The turning point came during a Knicks tryout when he tried to dunk on seven-foot Patrick Ewing.

Ewing rejected him, Starks fell, and he was hurt. Here’s to finding the good in bad situations…

How an injury became opportunity

Because of an NBA rule at the time, teams couldn’t cut an injured athlete. That bureaucratic detail gave Starks time to rehab with the Knicks and show his work ethic and shooting ability. The organization watched him grind, and rather than letting one failed attempt define him, his response to the injury did.

“In every bad situation some good is going to come out of it.”

What we learn from StarksSetbacks can create unexpected windows: an injury forced a rehabbing period that revealed his character.Mental toughness is shown in how we respond, not in never falling.Opportunity often follows persistence — showing up and working hard matters more than a single highlight.

Practical steps to build mental toughness

We coach teams to translate stories like Starks’s into daily practice. Start with small, repeatable actions:

Finding the good in bad situations

Reframe the event: ask what good could come from this setback.Create a rehabbing routine — physical or mental — and track consistency.Show your work publicly: let coaches and teammates see the effort.Focus on controllables (work, recovery, attitude) and let outcomes follow.Bringing it together as a Mental Toughness Speaker

When we speak to teams and athletes, we use real examples to move ideas from theory to practice. The John Starks story isn’t just nostalgia — it’s a blueprint. Similar to our mental health playbook , If we remember one thing, it’s this: resilience grows where we choose to act, not where we choose to complain.

As a Mental Toughness Speaker, our mission is to help you notice the good that can emerge from pain and to provide the tools to turn setbacks into momentum. Let’s commit to showing up, grinding through rehabs and obstacles, and trusting that the good will show up in time.

Key takeaway: in every bad situation, some good is going to come out of it — and our response determines how quickly and how much.

 

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. DRB & associates coach executives and professional athletes. Some clients have included three different winners on the PGA Tour, Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. 

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