A Coach's Diary

“I don’t care who gets the credit. I care about creating the best possible work.” - Shane Parrish Would you rather be right or get it right? Have you ever known you were wrong, but your ego prevented you from admitting it? When I was an assistant college basketball coach, my success was tied to the 18-year-olds I helped evaluate, recruit, sign, and develop. If I was the guy who signed and developed an All-American, it could help me move into a bigger and better opportunity, so we would fight to sign our kid. The challenge was there were a limited number of scholarships you can offer, so if you miss on a kid, you are stuck with that bad decision for an entire year. This forces you to put outcomes over ego, because the last thing you want is to have a bad year because you signed a kid who wasn’t good enough and stuck with him just so you could be right. Author Shane Parrish says we can make better decisions that lead to more success when we put outcomes over egos. He said, “One big mist...

"Every day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams help light our darkness and give us the push we need to move across the rink of life." - Kristi Yamaguchi Hope is the expectation that something good is going to happen to you and through you. When you have hope, you can have optimism, motivation, and inspiration no matter what is going on around you. When you don’t, it’s hard to find that same spark. Kristi Yamaguchi was an Olympic figure skater who had to overcome many challenges, including being born with a clubfoot, on her way to becoming a gold medalist. In her book, Always Dream, Kristi wrote, "Every day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams help light our darkness and give us the push we need to move across the rink of life." If your dreams, goals, and aspirations are big enough, they can guide through any challenge. For Yamaguchi, a dream isn't just a distant hope; it's a powerful source of motivation that can help you overcome obstacles. S...

"When I started swimming again two years ago, it felt like I was starting from scratch. My mindset was that every time I swam, it was going to get easier—and it did. When you're working toward a fitness goal, you just need to start. It's not going to be pretty; your body is going to scream at you, but each time you'll get better." - Janet Evans How hard is it for you to get back in shape or come back from a break? Janet Evans is a former American competitive swimmer and one of the most decorated distance swimmers in history. She won four Olympic gold medals and one silver across the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Games, specializing in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle. She is remembered for her grit, consistency, and determination—qualities that made her a role model for athletes worldwide. Evans retired after the 1996 Olympics, and tried to make a comeback for the 2012 Olympics, but didn’t make it. While preparing for her comeback, Evans said, "When I started swimm...

“That's a part that's always a challenge for athletes: trying to keep the passion alive while knowing it's still your job.” - Landon Donovan How do you keep your love and passion for something while sacrificing and working as hard as it takes to be great at it? Success requires a lot. It requires a lot of time, energy, and effort. It requires so much, that the task of becoming great can steal the love and joy you have for it. Think about it. You usually start doing something because you enjoy it. Then you want to do it more because you start to really like it. Then, you get good at it, and want to go from good to great. But that transition is when it stops being fun for a lot of people and becomes a job. Landon Donovan has scored as many goals as any man who has played soccer for our US Men’s National team. He once said, “That's a part that's always a challenge for athletes: trying to keep the passion alive while knowing it's still your job.” How do you keep the...

“I like the feeling of doing something you worked hard for and that you were really scared to do… I tell myself I got it. I picture landing the trick in my head. When you land a trick that you're really scared of, you feel like you can do anything.” - Sky Brown Have you ever heard, “If your goals don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”? A powerful goal should make you feel a little fearful and comfortable. It signals a gap between who you are and who you want to become. But you have to have the courage to do what it takes to close the gap. Sky Brown is a British-Japanese professional skateboarder, surfer, and two-time Olympic bronze medalist who became the youngest ever Olympic medalist for Team GB, inspiring people worldwide with her fearless style, resilience, and “be brave, be strong, have fun” mantra. She once said, “I like the feeling of doing something you worked hard for and that you were really scared to do… I tell myself I got it. I picture landing the trick in my head. W...

“You have to have faith in yourself, even when nobody else does.” - Elena Delle Donne How do you have belief and faith in yourself when no one else does? If you want to be great at anything, you have to believe in yourself because self-belief is the foundation of high achievement — before anyone else can believe in you, you have to trust your own ability, vision, and potential. Elena Delle Donne was one of the most dominant female basketball players of all time. She once said, "You have to have faith in yourself, even when nobody else does.” Faith is confidence or trust in something. When you have it, you’re willing to work harder and longer, you are more likely to keep going when setbacks happen because you believe they are temporary in your ability to overcome them, and you inspire others to believe in you too. When you don’t have it, you’re more likely to hesitate or quit when challenges come, you might hold back from taking risks or pushing yourself to your limits, and the dou...

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jerry West How do you show up and put in the work on the days you don’t feel like it? You want to know what I think is the hardest part about being great? You don’t always feel like being great. How often do you not feel like doing the things you know you need to, the way or the speed that you know you need to? The best of the best show up and do their job every day, no matter what and no matter how they feel. Jerry West was one of the best basketball players of all time. In fact, he is called “The Logo” because the NBA logo was created in his image. He once said, “You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” This quote is a reminder that real progress—whether in sports, work, or personal growth—comes not from bursts of inspiration, but from showing up even when it’s hard or you don’t feel like it. There are countless days when my motivation is low...

  “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” - Muhammad Ali What do you think comes first: motivation or action? We often think we need to be motivated first to do something and action follows, but leadership coach Shade Zahrai says research tells us the exact opposite. She says that because of the way our brains are wired, motivation comes after action—our brains have to see us doing the work and putting in the reps for motivation to kick in. Once we get started and going, our brains want to keep going. Think about how many times you don’t feel like working out but feel happy that you did when it’s over? The hardest part about working out for me is usually getting started. Now I know it’s not just me and getting started in the real challenge. Boxing great Muhammad Ali once said, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” Waiting to...

"I’m happy to give people hope. To show that you can be whoever you want and still be a champion." - Amanda Nunes When you feel down and out, how do you find hope? Hope is the expectation that something good is going to happen to you and through you. It is the belief that your future can be better than your past or present, and that you have a role in making it so. When I am feeling low, I search for hope. I like to think, “What if …” For example, “If everything worked out for good, what would that look like and what would I need to do to make it happen?” Hope can also come from looking at others for inspiration. Amanda Nunes is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who is widely considered one of the greatest female fighters in the history of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). She once said, “I’m happy to give people hope. To show that you can be whoever you want and still be a champion.” Nunes was an openly gay woman who found success in a male-dominated, often hyper-masculine sp...

“The best leaders are the best servants.”- Tony Dungy Would you consider yourself a selfish leader or a servant leader? Have you ever heard the saying, “A rising tide lifts all boats?” This means that when one person does well, we all do well. When overall conditions get better, everyone benefits, not just a few. And when things get better for the group, they usually get better for you, too. That is why servant leadership can be so impactful. Tony Dungy is a former professional football player and coach who made history in 2007 when he led the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI, becoming the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl. He is also known to be a servant leader. Coach Dungy once said, “The best leaders are the best servants.” Leaders set the direction, vision, tone, and values. Servant leaders do that and then say and ask, “I’m here to help. What can I do to help?” Instead of putting themselves first, servant leaders focus on helping their teammates succeed, g...

“I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.” - Dawn Fraser On a scale of 1-5, how motivated are you? Are you kind of motivated when you feel like it, or are you always motivated to do what you know you need to do, how you are supposed to do it? Motivation is the internal drive or desire that pushes someone to take action toward a goal. It's what gives you the reason to start something, the energy to keep going, and the focus to finish. Dawn Fraser is an Australian swimming legend—regarded as one of the greatest female sprint swimmers in Olympic history. She once said, “I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.” She is saying motivation—the kind that lasts and leads to greatness—has to be intrinsic and come from inside you, not from outside pressure. You have to want it for yourself—not because a coach is yelling, or a parent is...

"There is no plant in the world that grows the day you plant the seed. It takes months, sometimes even years, for a tree to have a beautiful fruit or a beautiful flower." - Jay Shetty How patient are you? The Marshmallow Experiment was a famous psychological study on delayed gratification where researchers put kids in a room with a marshmallow and a choice: Eat the marshmallow now, or wait 15 minutes and get a second one. Years later, the research showed that kids who delayed gratification tended to have better academic performance, healthier lifestyles, and stronger relationships. The study suggests that the ability to resist immediate temptations and delay gratification is linked to long-term success in many areas of life. This is true on so many levels. We want what we want right now, but greatness takes time. Improvement, growth, and mastery never happen overnight. The best athletes, students, and leaders all share one thing: They stay committed long enough to see their w...

"The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration, then more practice and more concentration." - Babe Didrikson Zaharias How locked in are you? One of the biggest differences between good and great athletes is the ability to concentrate. Concentration means staying mentally focused while being able to block out distractions, and being fully present while putting your mind into every rep. Great athletes know how to lock in and focus on one thing. NBA Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony says a lot of guys hated training with him because he can spend hours working and perfecting the same shot. Kobe Bryant once said something similar. Our attention spans are shorter than ever, so the ability to concentrate on and master one thing is a game-changer. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was one of the greatest all-around athletes in American history—male or female. She dominated in multiple sports, especially track and field, basketball, and golf, and is widely regarded as a pioneer for ...

"It's important to push yourself further than you think you can go each and every day—as that is what separates the good from the great." - Shannon Miller Do you go as hard as you can go? Do you push yourself past your limits, or do you stay in your comfort zone? There are three types of athletes: those who show up and go through the motions, those who go hard when they feel like it, and those who push themselves past their limits every workout. Talent can only take you so far. Every coach’s goal is to help athletes maximize their potential, and that only happens through consistent habits and pushing themselves past their comfort zone when it’s time to work. Shannon Miller, one of the most decorated U.S. gymnasts in history, once said, "It's important to push yourself further than you think you can go each and every day—as that is what separates the good from the great." She joined the national team at 13, scored perfect 10s, became a world champion and Olym...

"I don’t care how fast you are. If you ain’t consistent, you won’t win much." - Richard Petty How consistent are you? EYBL basketball is the most competitive level of high school basketball in the country. When you go to an EYBL stop or tournament, you have to play 5 or 6 games in one weekend against all-star teams from across the country, and in front of college coaches. It is hard. The hardest part is being able to put together 5 or 6 really good games in one weekend. It’s not hard to have a good game or 2, but putting together a weekend of good games against great competition is what separates the good from the great. Richard Petty is one of the most successful NASCAR drivers of all time. He once said, "I don’t care how fast you are. If you ain’t consistent, you won’t win much." You can be good, talented, and have all the potential in the world, but if you aren’t consistent, you won’t go far. Good athletes have a couple of good games, better athletes can put toge...