Shake It Off and Step Up

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for ...hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!

You have two choices in the face of adversity:
1. Shake it off and take a step up
or
2. Be a jackass crying and whining about it and get buried.


THE STORY CONTINUES...
The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL:
When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

You Are A Player When...

You are a player when:

1. You don't care if you are the one who sets the screen or the one who hits the winning three, because fulfilling your role, whatever that role is, is most important.

2. You have a desire to excel for the benefit of the TEAM.

3. You have an unquenchable need to exceed past your limitations.

4. You play and know, without a shadow of doubt, that you competed like a champion.

5. You understand your commitment to your teammates.

6. You understand that basketball is a TEAM sport.

7. You finish playing and only your body leaves the floor; your heart and soul are captured within the game.

8. You will exchange your blood, sweat, and tears for the benefit of the TEAM.

9. You understand the irrelevance of individual awards.

10. You would rather encourage a teammate to success than benefit personally from his mistakes.

11. Your respect for the game and those involved in the game outweighs your personal pride.

12. You make mistakes and use them to learn from and improve rather than use them as excuses.

13. Your ability to make your teammates better increases each time you take to the floor.

14. You do the little things right even when nobody is watching.

15. You act to serve your teammates with unselfish motives.

16. You have a clear understanding of your role and strive to perform it better.

17. You have done all that you can and still fell that you can contribute more.

18. You know the difference between pain and injury; playing through the pain without creating a scene.

19. You give more than what is asked and take less than what is deserved.

20. Your effort is constant and your play is consistent regardless of the situation.

YOU THINK YOU CAN... AND YOU DO!!!

Hustle Board

This is an idea I picked up from notes that Kevin Eastman took from talking to Herb Sendek in the mid 90's. Herb used a small board in the locker room to keep track after every game of their leaders in various categories. They would post the Best Teammate (subjective), Best Assist/Turnover Ratio, Best Defender (subjective), Most Offensive Rebounds, Most Deflections (must have assistant coach or manager track during the game or by watching film), and Most Charges Taken (again, either during game or afterward on film).

When I got to Eastern Washington and worked under Ray Giacoletti, he had his dad (a marvelous woodwork craftsman) build him a similar leader board. We called it the Hustle Board. We only tracked 3 stats: Charges Taken, Assists, and Rebounds. The difference between Herb's version and Ray's version is that Ray wanted to track cumulatively over the course of the season as well.

In the picture, you'll notice that the right column is already labeled for the season. In that column, affix three nameplate brackets for each category. Some may wish to use Velcro, but I find that Velcro wears out rather quickly and doesn't look as sharp. Sliding nameplates looks classy. The left column is for the last game played. The top bracket is for the opponent, and only the top 2 for that game in each category makes the board.

I love this tool! It creates a sense of pride in doing the little things that actually have a tremendous impact on the outcome of the game. I posted the toughness essay assignment we did with our team, and this is one way we can hold the players accountable for what they wrote.

Alabama Football: Motivational Meeting

I just saw this on ESPN's website. Great stuff for all coaches regardless of sport. These are things that all of our athletes need to hear. In order to win, you've got to commit to something larger than yourself. Enjoy!

Alabama Football All-Access: Motivational Meeting

I Could Beat Mike Tyson In His Prime!

I think we can all agree that Mike Tyson, in his prime, was one of the most dominant boxers of all time. I have never been in the boxing ring, am far from being in fighting shape, and still could beat the late-eighties Tyson in the ring. This story doesn't hinge on Tyson himself. Change the name to Muhammad Ali or George Foreman or any other boxer and it would be the same.

The rules of the fight are this:
- Tyson cannot use his fists. He can only strike with open hands boxing style.

- I can use my fists.

Tyson would be tremendously stronger than I am but he isn't going to have the same power behind his punches. He would get his shots in on me, but they wouldn't have the same explosive results as his fists would have. His shots might hurt, but they would be very easy to recover from. Granted, he could knock me down with a roundhouse or a hook, but it would be highly unlikely that I would get knocked out. Tyson might jam, sprain, or break some fingers in the process.

In the other corner (to use boxing terminology), I would be packing a considerable more dangerous punch. I would be balling my fists and delivering powerful blows... at least as powerful as I can. The damage I would be able to induce would be dramatically different than Tyson. The likelihood that I could beat Tyson is heavily weighted to my advantage.

Consider our respective hands as representations of your basketball team. If they play as individuals, separate, and as individuals there just isn't as much power behind their play. They may get their shots in and make runs, but in the long run there are tremendous odds that they will break and get beat.

If they come together, tight, and with a common goal they will deliver strong blows to their opponent. They will be a fore to be reckoned with; a dangerous combination of efficiency and power. Working together, they will have the ability to knock down their opponent and keep them down.

Is your hut on fire?

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

The Moral of This Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Truly Inspiring!!!

I remember reading this article by Rick Reilly back in October of 2003. It is still one of my very favorite stories of all time. Ben Comen is my favorite athlete; ever. The competitive spirit Ben has is unparalleled by anyone. I ran copies of this story and put one in every one of our players' lockers. I told my players that they should be thankful for their gifts and use them to the best of their abilities. If they would commit and play even half as hard as Ben competes, their would be no one to stop them!

Here is The Life of Reilly from Sports Illustrated, October 20, 2003:

Worth the Wait

Why do they come? Why do they hang around to watch the slowest high school cross-country runner in America? Why do they want to see a kid finish the 3.1 miles in 51 minutes when the winner did it in 16?

Why do they cry? Why do they nearly break their wrists applauding a junior who falls flat on his face almost every race? Why do they hug a teenager who could be beaten by any other kid running backward?

Why do they do it? Why do all of his teammates go back out on the course and run the last 10 minutes of every race with him? Why do other teams do it too? And the girls' teams? Why run all the way back out there to pace a kid running like a tortoise with bunions?

Why?

Because Ben Comen never quits.

See, Ben has a heart just slightly larger than the Chicago Hyatt. He also has cerebral palsy. The disease doesn't mess with his intellect -- he gets A's and B's -- but it seizes his muscles and contorts his body and gives him the balance of a Times Square drunk. Yet there he is, competing for the Hanna High cross-country team in Anderson, S.C., dragging that wracked body over rocks and fallen branches and ditches. And people ask, Why?

"Because I feel like I've been put here to set an example," says Ben, 16. "Anybody can find something they can do -- and do it well. I like to show people that you can either stop trying or you can pick yourself up and keep going. It's just more fun to keep going."

It must be, because faced with what Ben faces, most of us would quit.

Imagine what it feels like for Ben to watch his perfectly healthy twin, Alex, or his younger brother, Chris, run like rabbits for Hanna High, while Ben runs like a man whacking through an Amazon thicket. Imagine never beating anybody to the finish line. Imagine dragging along that stubborn left side, pulling that unbending tire iron of a leg around to the front and pogo-sticking off it to get back to his right.

Worse, he lifts his feet so little that he trips on anything -- a Twinkie-sized rock, a licorice-thick branch, the cracks between linoleum tiles. But he won't let anybody help him up. "It messes up my flow," he says. He's not embarrassed, just mad.

Worst, he falls hard. His brain can't send signals fast enough for his arms to cushion his fall, so he often smacks his head or his face or his shoulder. Sometimes his mom, Joan, can't watch.

"I've been coaching cross-country for 31 years," says Hanna's Chuck Parker, "and I've never met anyone with the drive that Ben has. I don't think there's an inch of that kid I haven't had to bandage up." But never before Ben finishes the race. Like Rocky Marciano, Ben finishes bloody and bruised, but never beaten. Oh, he always loses -- Ben barely finishes ahead of the sunset, forget other runners. But he hasn't quit once. Through rain, wind or welt, he always crosses the finish line.

Lord, it's some sight when he gets there: Ben clunking his way home, shepherded by all those kids, while the cheerleaders screech and parents try to holler encouragement, only to find nothing coming out of their voice boxes.

The other day Ben was coming in with his huge army, Ben's Friends, his face stoplight red and tortured, that laborious gait eating up the earth inch by inch, when he fell not 10 yards from the line. There was a gasp from the parents and a second of silence from the kids. But then Ben went through the 15-second process of getting his bloody knees under him, his balance back and his forward motion going again -- and he finished. From the roar you'd have thought he just won Boston.

"Words can't describe that moment," says his mom. "I saw grown men just stand there and cry." Ben can get to you that way. This is a kid who builds wheelchair ramps for Easter Seals, spends nights helping at an assisted-living home, mans a drill for Habitat for Humanity, devotes hours to holding the hand of a disabled neighbor, Miss Jessie, and plans to run a marathon and become a doctor. Boy, the youth of today, huh?

Oh, one aside: Hanna High is also the home of a mentally challenged man known as Radio, who has been the football team's assistant for more than 30 years. Radio gained national attention in a 1996 Sports Illustrated story by Gary Smith and is the hero of a major movie that opens nationwide on Oct. 24.

Feel like you could use a little dose of humanity? Get yourself to Hanna. And while you're there, go out and join Ben's Friends. You'll be amazed what a little jog can do for your heart.

Finish Strong!

I have been focusing on work, my team, and placed a tremendous emphasis on my thesis the last couple of weeks (the big reason I have not posted anything lately). Late nights on the computer writing and researching have become the norm. Our first game was on Sunday which was my scout, so needless to say I have been watching a lot of film too. Sleep has become almost a non-entity. I see my wife for a few brief moments. Working in the admissions office has become a chore. I have questioned whether its all worth it.

I am not the only one going through this thought process. Some of my players, and more than likely some of your players, are going through it too. School, family, basketball, their social life, etc... create conflicts to which those players are going to ask themselves, "Is it worth it?"

We're all human that way. I don't care who you are, you have asked yourself this question at some point in your life.

I was sent an email from the mother of one of the players on our women's team that answered the question for me with an absolute resounding "YES!" The following video on Nick Vujicic was attached:



After watching even this short clip, I knew it was all worth it. I may be knocked down with less-than-enough hours in the day. I may be tired. I may feel frustrated. BUT, I will always get back up in order to reach my goals. Like my mom often tells me, "It is only temporary insanity."

That is something I shared with my team and this video. No matter what, you've got to get up. "Look at the physical gifts you've been given. Look at how God has given you the ability to do something you love at a high level. Now take a look at Nick Vujicic who hasn't been blessed with your attributes and abilities. If his attitude and determination were combined with your abilities, would anyone be able to stop you?"

Player Notebooks

With the start of school upon us, I figured I'd share with you some of the items I consider important in player's notebooks. This is definitely not a new idea, but one that I feel is extremely valuable. The use of player notebooks lends itself to multiple purposes such as organizational skills, time management skills, and making sure players have the necessary information to be successful. This obviously benefits the student athlete. Notebooks also can serve as a fantastic tool for us as coaches to monitor academics, inspire and motivate our student athletes, as well as keep them all on the same page within our systems.

My player's notebook will contain the following:
Contacts - This will include key athletic staff members, the coaching staff, players, and managers phone numbers and email addresses.

Time Management - A master calendar is included in this section. Key academic dates such as the last day to drop/add a class, registration dates, holidays, last day to pay bills, and final exams. Other key dates for the team such as practice times, games, and travel days are included as well.

In addition, a week at a glance sheet for a typical week is included. Players then would sit with a coach and block off times for class, practice, workouts, studying, meals, and personal time.

Academics - Grade sheets for every class. The grade sheets would have a table that players, with the aid of a coach, will fill in assignments from their syllabi, due dates, and the grade they receive. All assignments, tests, papers, and the like will be included. This will give coaches an idea of how players are progressing academically.

This section can also include study tips, school policies on plagiarism and academic guidelines, and various items in regards to academia.

Motivational - This includes players' directive affirmations (mentioned in earlier post - very good stuff if you haven't read it). This is also where players add inspirational and motivational quotes I give them.

Basketball - Players will add the team playbook and scouting reports. This is to be written by the players themselves. I will write and diagram plays, notes, scouting reports in the locker room and the players are responsible for writing this information in their notebook.

Misc. - Anything else that does not fit the above descriptions included here.

I am a big proponent of the player notebook system. It is a great way to teach lifelong skills and support abilities that will benefit your student athletes outside of the classroom. I encourage you to consider using some of these ideas.

Positive Attitude

Players don't care how much I know until they know how much I care. -Frosty Westering

You have to dream big and go for it. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and ignore those who try to bring you down. Never give up, no matter what - overcoming obstacles makes you stronger!
-Shannon MacMillan

Make each day your masterpiece. You have control over that.
-John Wooden

We can choose to see life as a series of trials and tribulations, or we can choose to see life as an accumulation of treasures.
-Unknown

If you haven't got all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don't have that you don't want.
-Unknown

Our small efforts at kindness can change people's lives more than we will ever know. Since it takes so little time and energy to change the world for the better, why not make an effort to do it every day?
-Pat Williams

I tell people: If you don't want to get into positive thinking, that's OK. Just eliminate all the negative thoughts from your mind, and whatever's left will be fine.
-Bob Rotella

Be grateful for the doors of opportunity - and the friends who oil the hinges.
-Unknown

Gratitude is the heart's memory.
-Ancient Greek Proverb

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
-Michael Leuning

There are positive and negative thoughts. And, hey, it doesn't cost you a cent more to think positively.
-Angelo Dundee

There is no room in your mind for negative thoughts. The busier you keep yourself with the particulars of shot assessment and execution, the less chance your mind has to dwell on the emotional. This is sheer intensity.
-Jack Nicklaus

There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around and say, "I can. Watch me."
-Layn Beachley

Rebuilding

First off, let me apologize for not having posted in a couple of weeks. Finishing up graduate school classes, recruiting trips to showcases, trying to finalize student's schedules for the fall, and traveling to New Orleans with my band have put posting on the back burner.

Yes, I did say I play in a band. I play drums in an oldies to classic rock cover band. We play strictly for charity, so it doesn't become a job and it stays a hobby. I think we sound pretty good, and if you're interested you can check out our website at www.theharleys.org.

We did play a gig in New Orleans recently. I lived in Lake Charles, Louisiana for a short time. I interviewed for a position the weekend before Katrina ripped through NOLA. Took the job, moved to (as some of the locals call it) Puddle Chuck, and two weeks later Rita rolled right through the middle of town. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I know practically nothing about natural disasters. Got a taste of tornadoes in Oklahoma, but hurricanes were unfamiliar territory for me. I think the scariest thing about them is that you know well ahead of time that they're coming!

As I crossed the Sabine River into Louisiana and drove along I-10, there were still constant reminders of the storms. Houses still had blue tarps on their roofs. Signage along the freeway were not all repaired. In some parts it looked as if absolutely nothing had been done. The city of New Orleans has come a long way since Katrina. Even went through another monster in Gustav. It would be extremely easy for those folks to just drop everything and call it quits.

I am amazed at the resiliency of the folks in Louisiana! There is so much rich history there. They get devastated by hurricanes which cause floods, evacuations, topple structures, etc. and yet they bounce back... and bounce back with a smile on their face with true southern hospitality. What can we, as coaches, learn from this? My recent visit proved that the people there have it figured out!

We can press on! That's the lesson. No matter how bad it gets in the win/loss column, there is always another day. We can work hard to improve our situation. Even if things are in disrepair, we can have a positive attitude. We can treat others around us with kindness and caring even in the worst of situations. As we do that, the situation won't seem quite as desperate as we originally thought. Others will rally around you and fight for common good.

I look back and read my previous post about the teaching of Les Brown and see that he is really talking about the people of Louisiana. Not one person that I ran into during my trip ever have a negative thing to say. Even though the world around them was still not the same as before, they were still inviting and ever so gracious. Those folks know that it is worth fighting for. If we can instill that kind of commitment into our players, nothing will stop us!

Keep Your Dream Alive!

10 Steps on How to Make It Happen
By Les Brown

1. Be Thankful - Show an "Attitude of Gratitude". Positivity is the key. Quitting is not an option.

2. Be Thoughtful - When set backs occur, look inward. Go on with a clear head. Turn the page and come up with a plan to move forward.

3. Be Active - Begin with small steps. Keep moving forward regardless the circumstances. Action prevents anger or depression.

4. Be Connected - Seek out others for assistance. Most people seclude themselves out of pride in times of trouble. Connecting with others may reveal a solution not thought of previously.

5. Be Patient - In a world full of instant gratification, this is a tough lesson to learn and implement. Don't focus on the process - focus on the outcome.

6. Be Persistent - Stay hungry. This will keep you going through failures. This means you are willing to keep your commitment and keep bouncing back.

7. Be Positive - Opportunity does not come knocking. Expect things to happen and share that with others. Positivity eliminates you form locking in on doubt, worry, and regret.

8. Be Creative - Look for new ways to be effective and win. Just because its the way things have been done, doesn't mean that's the way it has to be done.

9. Be Consumed - Apply an inner filter. Look for useful information and block out the negative. It is unrealistic to hide your head in the sand assuming everything is OK.

10. Be Faithful - Faith and worry cannot coexist. One will dominate the other. Brown states, "Faith is the oil that takes the friction out of living."

Lessons from 1985

I found a great article written by Don Yaeger on the 1985 NCAA Division-I National Champions, Villanova Wildcats. The following are highlights of the lessons learned from that national championship game.

1. You have to play the game - No matter the odds or the pre-game hype, it's your performance that determines the outcome.

2. Count on your team - Following a well scripted game plan and relying on each other helped the Wildcats exude confidence in every situation as they faced the defending NCAA champion (Georgetown) Hoyas.

3. Shut out the naysayers - "Don't tell others what is expected to happen. Make it happen," says Ed Pinckney, named Most Outstanding Player of the 1985 Final Four. "If you believe what others say, you'll never beat Goliath."

4. Stretch beyond your reach - This game's outcome might have been different had Gary McLain not dived to control the last-second inbounds pass, landing on his stomach, cradling the ball in his left hand, his right fist pounding the air in triumph as theclock ticked down the final two seconds.

Do you "know it all"?

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates

I saw this quote this morning and found it to be quite true. There is so much information out there that we just don't know. What does this mean for us? What are the consequences?

Overall it means that we need to challenge ourselves constantly to learn something new everyday. As a growing global community this has tremendous impact on how we view others and the interactions we have.

From a coaching perspective, it means that we too need to be searching for new information all the time. There are so many leadership techniques and motivational tools that have been developed and can be inspiration for our own views or implemented into our own philosophies. Coaches are constantly toying with new ideas, strategies, and tactical schemes that could be beneficial to our own programs.

As coaches, this also impacts our players. As soon as they think they've got it all figured out, that is when we see a decline in performance. This could be in the classroom or on the court. It is often the reason for the "sophomore slump".

This past year, I tried to combat the "slump" by engaging my post players in activities that would keep them thinking and exploring on their own. I had them come up with their own Directive Affirmations (an earlier post talks about this). This goal setting technique demonstrated that even a very good player still has room for improvement. I also provided my post players daily quotes in which they had to relate the quote to their affirmation and why it was important.

I would encourage coaches to read something every day that will assist them in bettering their program. This was something that George Raveling believed in strongly. Read an article from a newspaper or magazine, a book on leadership, or an inspirational story. I would encourage coaches to have their players participate as well. Bob Knight would have his team read books that he distributed to his team to keep them activated.

These are not new ideas, but little things that we tend to forget. The more we can understand that we don't know it all, the better we can become down the road.

What it takes to be number one!

There is little doubt in anyone's mind that Vince Lombardi was a great coach and leader. I found this great online movie and absolutely love Coach Lombardi's lessons. Enjoy!

http://www.lombardimovie.com/

Pat Riley's view on the summer

Let’s just say this is your Summer Time Makeover not only as an athlete, but a transformation of your thinking.

In a perfect world, every athlete would have a super attitude. They would all buy into the team concept. Not care who gets the credit, not care who gets the playing time, doesn’t mind taking a back seat to other athletes and never complains about coming off the bench as a sub.

Be coach-able, responsible, and respect authority. In a perfect world, athletes would all work hard on their particular sport, show up on time for practice and meetings, go to class and do the best they can; avoid excuses and overall be a great athlete to coach.

But we know this isn’t a perfect world. It’s a sports world that can be improved though. Self-discipline is the first step, which isn’t easy. It takes work, but it can be done

Self-discipline is the price you pay for success. Without it, you are doomed for failure.

Sure the easy life can be lived by all. You can wake up in the morning and park your butt on the couch, munch on cereal and watch television all morning and into the afternoon. Then you can go swimming or to the beach with your friends. Or you can hang out on the corner and do nothing. At night you can hang out at the mall or go to a movie. Anyone can do those things. This type of life leads to mediocrity.

But it’s the successful athlete who gets up in the morning, has their breakfast and goes to work out. They go running, lifting or to the courts to get their shots up, to work on their dribbling or their ball handling. This type of life leads to success.

All athletes face the same question every day. Should they go and train? It’s the special athlete who breaks away from the crowd, who puts the important things first. Sure it’s difficult to dedicate yourself to becoming the best athlete you can be by training daily, especially when its hot outside and your friends are at the beach working on their tan. But the journey along the way is what makes it most fulfilling come game day. Knowing that you trained hard will pay off for you.

With sports training, to become the best, you have to do things that are unpleasant.

Success comes to those who develop a burning desire to succeed. Greatness is achieved and maintained by those who train and keep on training. If you are on the shore and there is a ship out in the Atlantic Ocean carrying one million dollars and you were told that if you can get to the ship, you can have the money.

Would you start swimming or stay on the shore?

Starting today, dedicate yourself to your sport. Step up your training, step up your commitment.

Push-ups, sit-ups, run, work on your craft. Do something every day to get better. At the end of the day, look in the mirror and ask yourself if you gave it your best, did you give every once of sweat? Did you make the right decisions? Did you do what had to be done?

You have a choice every day regarding the attitude you will take towards your commitment. Reevaluate your goals and realize that you have the ability to improve on your current situation.

Continuous hard work is what gets it done.

Stop blaming others for your lack of success, for your lack of playing time last year on the team. It’s not your coach’s fault, or your parent’s. It’s not where you come from or what team you play for. Stop making excuses. Excuses are for losers, they are a disease. Stop the complaining, the whining and the pouting. Athletes who become successful leave all that stuff alone. Did you ever see the NBA Champions, San Antonio Spurs argue with each other on the court?

Start being a better person, a person who wants to improve all the time. Cut out all distractions and believe in yourself. If you get an opportunity, take advantage of it.

Play your sport with a ‘walk-on’ mentality. Play the game like you appreciate the opportunity to come to the gym, the diamond or the gridiron. If you are controlled by your ego, then you’re not going to recognize any avenue you might have to success.

Love your sport, work hard, pay attention to detail. Have a hunger, be relentless, have a passion for your sport. Time - Work - Sacrifice…Nobody can do it for you.

“You have to have a mission, a desired state. Have the courage to put aside ego for the common good. You must give up something to get better in the future. You must be an active participant in your own rescue…Determination conquers every fear and failure.”
-Pat Riley, head coach Miami Heat

Summer Off-Season Thoughts

When a thing is done, it's done. Don't look back. Look forward to your next objective.
- George C. Marshall

A player who makes a team great is better than a great player.
- John Wooden

If you wait to do everything until you're sure its right, you'll probably never do much of anything.
- Win Borden

One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.
- Unknown

The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.
- Bret Harte

Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Make your life a mission - not an intermission.
- Arnold Glasgow

What we plan we build.
- Conte Vittorio Alfieri

You know, Willie Wonka said it best:'We are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams.' We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.
- Herb Brooks

Leaders

I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.
-Charles Maurice deTalleyrand

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
-John C. Maxwell

Ultimately, a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus. I would rather be a man of conviction than a man of conformity.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Great leaders are never satisfied with current levels of performance. They are relentlessly driven by possibilities and potential achievements.
-Donna Harrison

There are really four types of people: 1) Cop-outs - People who have no goals and do not commit, 2) Hold-outs - People who don't know if they can reach their goals, so they are afraid to commit, 3) Dropouts - People who start toward a goal but quit when the going gets tough, and 4) All-outs - People who set goals, commit to them, and pay the price to meet them.
-John C. Maxwell

Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But conscience asks the question, "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have seen that in any great undertaking, it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself.
-Lone Man

We shall all hang together or we shall certainly hang separately.
-Benjamin Franklin