Sachin Tendulkar on why "little steps matter"

Sachin Tendulkar on why his boundless energy as a kid made him the sportsman that he is:

"I would never have become a serious cricketer had I not been a problem child. I was extremely difficult to manage and had seriously high energy levels that would invariably get me into trouble. At that stage, my brother thought that summer camp could be the making of me — it would give me no time for pranks or mischief. Somehow, the idea worked and those eight hours I spent on the field everyday changed my attitude towards life. I became very serious about the game — it was a single-minded focus where nothing else mattered."

... "It’s really funny when I look back now, but then, as a 12-year-old, even though I knew I wanted to play for India, I didn’t know how one got there. I was clueless about the Ranji, and Duleep or anything. In my little world, I had some vague idea of things — you played well at Mumbai’s club games and were magically transported to playing for India.

"And then, it happened. I started doing well at those games and found myself suddenly in state contention, rubbing shoulders with men I’d only seen on television. Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Lalchand Rajput… many more. My being there with them first gave me the confidence to believe in my own ability and then, that season, when I became the highest run-getter for Mumbai despite the presence of several stars, it became more special. It gave me the confidence to know I wasn’t out of place. I belonged here."

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