A Coach's Diary

I think we have all had experiences where we felt like we were done wrong and/or didn't get something we deserved. There has been a team we feel like we should have made that we didn't, a starting spot we felt like we deserved but we didn't get, and there are awards that we felt like we earned but were given to someone else. Kemba Walker went from being the starting point guard for the New York Knicks to the very end of the bench - overnight. He has had a wonderful career, and he is from New York City, so the entire city was excited to have the hometown kid come back and lead their franchise. But he hasn't been playing great, and his head coach not only took him out of the starting lineup, but took him completely out of the rotation. That meant, he went from starting to not playing at all! But through all of that adversity, he never pouted and he never quit. He kept a positive attitude, he kept working hard, and when his time came, he was ready.  Kemba is now back in th...

We have all been given different talents and gifts. Steph Curry can shoot the ball like nobody in the history of the NBA. Tom Brady defies time with the way he throws the ball. Megan Rapinoe has been a leader of the USWNT for years, and her ability to strike the ball has helped her win two world cups and a FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award. What I find amazing about all three athletes is that neither of them jumps out at you as being a superior athlete, but they have all been at the top of their sport because they know who they are, they know what they do best, and they maximize what they have been given. One of my favorite Bible stories is the parable of talents. It can be read fully in Matthew 25:14-30. A man was preparing to go on a journey, and he trusted three of his servants with his property. To one servant, he gave 5 talents, to another servant, he gave 2 talents, and to the third servant, he gave 1 talent. He gave to each of them the number of talents that matche...

If you want to be successful at anything, you have to be willing to TRY, and if you are willing to TRY something, you have to understand that there is a possibility that you will fail. Basketball coach, Kevin Eastman, wrote, “TRYING, taking in new challenges, facing the unknown, come down to these questions: - Is my TRY greater than my fear? - Is my TRY greater than my doubt? - Is my TRY greater than any embarrassment that U may suffer because I did not accomplish what I set out to do? Accomplishing anything, overcoming any challenge, requires a start, and starting something requires a willingness to try. So, TRY always precedes start. Coach Eastman defines TRY as a decision followed by an effort to accomplish something. Today, next week, forever - TRY. TRY something new. TRY to show up early. TRY to stay late. TRY talking to your coach about how you can get better. TRY, TRY, and TRY again. If you want to be successful at anything, the first step you have to take is to TRY! References:...

In his book, Driven From Within , Michael Jordan wrote, "I look at these kids today, and they don't know how to trick themselves. They don't even understand the need to find a way to get yourself ready to play at the highest level every night." Michael Jordan was the ultimate competitor, and I am always interested in how the best motivate themselves and keep themselves motivated. I WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MORNING THINKING, "OK, HOW AM I GOING TO ATTACK TODAY?" Michael Jordan wrote, "It was so easy for me to find ways to motivate myself. My driving force, my passion, was to impress people with what I could do. They got me through those dog days. The most important thing I learned from my father was the passion to prove what I was capable of doing. It was just that simple. I thought about that person who had never experienced the excitement or entertainment I could provide." WHEN I DID GET ATTENTION, I WANTED TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT I DESERVED IT. This quot...

Isaiah Jewett was a college track star at USC and was preparing to show the world what he could do in the 800-meter race in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Jewett's goal was to finish in the top two of his semi-final heat, and when  he was coming around the final turn, he was in a tight pack of runners when he felt something clip his foot. Jewitt lost his balance, and went tumbling and rolling, in the biggest race of his life, and took out Botswanan runner Nijel Amos with him. Devastated, Jewett scraped himself off, extended his hand to Amos, and pulled him up. Amos said, "I'm sorry." Jewett said, "Let's just finish the race. Jewett and Amos  FINISHED  the race together, shoulder to shoulder, nearly a minute behind the winners. But they FINISHED. Regardless of how mad you are, you have to be a hero at the end of the day," Jewett said. "That was my version of trying to be a hero, standing up and showing good character, even if it's my rival or whoever I...

I walked into the coach's office, and one of the football coaches was sitting at his desk with his head down. I ask him what was wrong, and he said that the 'Big Game Flu' was running through his team. I asked him what the 'Big Game Flu' was, and he said that some seasons, when his team was having an average or below-average season without a lot of leadership and lacking in grit, many of his players would end up hurt when they would play the top teams in their district, only to be healthy the next week against a weaker opponent. Their coaching staff, noticing this trend happening the week of the big game, started calling this phenomenon the 'Big Game Flu.' He said that the 'Big Game Flu' doesn't run through their team every year. The years where they have strong leadership, when their athletes are mentally tough and have grit, and when he has athletes who truly love to play the game and play with and for each other, the big game weeks are the bes...