BEUTLER OVERCAME LARGE ODDS
by Amy Donaldson

Deseret News

Lindsay's ideas about how much size matters has changed after coaching Beutler, whom she calls a "spit-fire competitor who just wants to do everything she can to win."

"I have no fear, now, of smaller point guards," Lindsay said. "They can get it done."

Beutler said she dealt with discouragement by focusing on more important things.

"I try to look past that now," she said of her size and comments about it. "It is not something I can really control. I focus on the the things I can control."

Harrison and Beutler didn't just keep trying when they were turned away, they tried harder. They out-worked those who might have looked the part more or gotten the breaks a little easier. Life is about taking advantage of opportunities, but it's also about creating your own opportunities. It's about knowing who you are, where you want to go and what you need to do to succeed.

It's not just that they believed in themselves when others doubted them, they did the work day in and day out to change the minds and perceptions of everyone around them. Their hard work and passion became contagious and after a while, someone was dying to give them the break they needed. For Harrison it was the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Beutler's opportunity came in the form of a junior college in Ephraim, Utah.

Opportunities are as unique as the people who create them. What Harrison and Beutler know first-hand is that when you're trying to make your way to success, persistence may be your most valuable tool.