Christopher Kirkpatrick: Trusting the Work
Christopher Kirkpatrick: Trusting the Work
At this point, Chris has built an impressive list of accomplishments. Heading into his senior year, he’s already surpassed 1,000 career points, earned First-team UAA circuit recognition, averaged 22 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds as a junior, earned First-Team All-State honors, and helped lead his team to two IHSA state tournament appearances.
Although the accolades are impressive, the standout New Trier guard and Princeton commit has built his journey on more than just talent. His growth as a player comes from trusting his work, embracing adversity, and playing with an elite level of confidence.
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Playing with Confidence
Watching Chris play, it’s clear he competes with a high level of confidence, fully trusting his ability to make things happen. That kind of approach isn’t something you often see at the high school level.
This confidence stems from the tremendous amount of work he puts in. Athletes need to understand that confidence doesn’t just show up, it’s built through consistent effort. But work alone isn’t enough— and Chris understands that. It only makes a difference when it’s applied in real game situations.
Because of that work, Chris plays with a belief in himself that frees him from the fear of mistakes. Too many players fall into the trap of being timid or passive, worried about the errors they might make. Chris, on the other hand, plays assertively, knowing the work he’s put in will carry him through.
Regarding his mentality, Chris had this to say:
“I just feel so much better after the games knowing I played like myself, I was assertive, I shot the ball, I made plays, rather than just making a mistake and then being a shell of myself.”
Athletes of all levels can learn from this. Chris isn’t trying to play like someone else, and he isn’t trying to play outside his ability—he is trying to play like his authentic self. Rather than mentioning results, he puts his focus on being assertive and trusting that his play will reflect the work he’s put in.
If you’ve put in the work, don’t be afraid to take the next step. Mistakes will happen, but they’re easier to live with than the thought of what could’ve been.
Bottom line: Play your game. Trust in your work, and the confidence will build over time.
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Stacking Days
What stood out most about Chris’ process is his relentless work ethic. The results that come from relentless work look great on the outside – the accolades, the wins, the recognition. But none of it is possible without the work.
Earlier in his career, he started to break through during his sophomore year at New Trier. To a lot of people, it looked like ‘overnight success.’ In reality, it was just the work behind the scenes starting to show.
“It doesn’t happen overnight. I mean it can look like it to people, but there’s a lot of failures in between that people don’t see.”
And it hasn’t stopped since then. A lot of players get complacent once success starts coming their way. After breaking out as a sophomore, Chris could have easily gotten caught up in the hype. But instead of letting the noise affect him, he kept that chip on his shoulder—finding ways to stay motivated and always push toward the next level.
To put the level of work into perspective, here’s a look at Chris’ summer schedule:
6:30am : Wake up and go to the gym — lift and skill work out
2 hours varsity team camp
Full skill workout later in the day
This wasn’t a one-time thing either. This was every day—three workouts a day. Now, that doesn’t mean this is the standard for everyone, but it shows the work that goes on behind the scenes. This routine isn’t common, but neither are the results that come from it. You have to be willing to make sacrifices.
The goals that Chris has set for himself are impressive. But they align with the level he works at.
Bottom line: You perform at the level you are prepared for. Work hard enough so that you’re ready for whatever comes your way.
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Overcoming Adversity
All athletes face adversity. Often, people assume that high-performing athletes don’t deal with the same challenges, which is false. Here, we look at two different stretches of adversity Chris has had to overcome in his career.
The first was learning how to take hard coaching and handle high expectations. Early in his career, Chris mentioned that being coached hard and held to high standards made his confidence waver at times. He didn’t always trust in his ability the way he does now. Coaches were hard on him and made it clear that he wasn’t always performing at the level he should be.
But the lesson that came from it was valuable. Chris shared how you have to be able to separate the message from the moment. Having coaches who expected things of him meant they saw his potential. He began to understand that it wasn’t personal, and looked for the deeper message within.
Bottom line: Being coached hard usually means somebody cares. Find the message and understand that when people have expectations for you, it’s because they see your potential.
The second adversity Chris faced has been recurring injuries in his career. Injuries are tough. What you love most gets taken away from you, and it’s almost always completely out of your control. This is a time when many players fall into the trap of feeling sorry for themselves.
But you can still look at things with a glass-half-full mentality. A perfect example of this is seen after Chris surgery on his right thumb. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he thought about what he could still do. He began doing full daily workouts strictly with his left hand. By the end of his recovery, what at first looked like a halt in his development turned into a strength. He came back even more confident in his ability, having added more to his game.
Bottom line: You can always do something. Keep a glass-half-full mentality. Don’t sit around, find something you can get 1% better at.
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For athletes looking to take their game to the next level, Chris’ story is a reminder that there is no substitute for hard work. If you just simply stack days and focus on your journey, there’s no telling how far you’ll make it.
