A Coach's Diary

“Do your job; be the best at whatever your job description is.” - Randy Moss Do you know what your job or role is? Whenever I start a new job, the first thing I do is study my job description and make sure I understand what’s expected of me. I also ask my leaders how success will be measured. That clarity helps me focus on what matters most because I want to be known as someone who is excellent at what I do. As a basketball player, I wanted to know what my coaches felt like the team needed from me, then I worked on my game to make sure that I did what was needed to the best of my ability. The better I was at my role, the more playing time and recognition I received, whether I was the star or leading scorer, or not. You don’t have to be the star to make a big impact. What matters is understanding your role, taking pride in it, and giving your best effort consistently. Your role may change, but your responsibility will always be to bring value in the way your team needs it most. Randy Mo...

“I kept telling myself this word, process. Focus on my process, don’t care about the result.” - Rory McIlroy Do you focus more on the process or the result? Rory McIlroy is one of the most successful golfers ever. He once said, “I kept telling myself this word, process. Focus on my process, don’t care about the result.” Results come and go, but the process is what you can actually control. When Rory says he kept reminding himself about the word “process,” he’s pointing to a mindset shift. Instead of obsessing over outcomes—winning, losing, shooting a certain score—he chose to anchor his attention on the steps, routines, and habits that put him in the best position to succeed. This approach is powerful because results are often influenced by things outside your control—weather, luck, an opponent’s performance, or timing. But the process belongs fully to you. It’s the way you practice, how you prepare, the focus you bring, and the effort you commit each day. When you keep your eyes on th...

“I have no regrets because I know I did my best — all I could do.” - Midori Ito Do you have any regrets? Regrets are the feelings we have when we look back at something we did — or didn’t do — and wish we had acted differently. They usually come with thoughts like: “I should have tried harder.” “I shouldn’t have given up so quickly.” “If only I had spoken up.” In other words, regret is the weight of missed effort, missed choices, or missed chances. Midori Ito is a retired Japanese figure skater, widely considered one of the greatest in the history of women’s skating. She is the first woman ever to land a triple Axel in competition, and at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, she was the first woman to successfully perform seven triple jumps in the free skate. She once said, “I have no regrets because I know I did my best—all I could do.” Midori Ito reminds us that the real measure of success isn’t just the scoreboard — it’s whether you gave everything you had in preparation and performance. If y...

“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” - Walter Hagen Do you ever stop and smell the roses? “Stop and smell the roses” is an expression that means slow down, take a break from rushing through life, and appreciate the small joys around you. It’s about noticing beauty, being present, and not letting life pass by while you’re too focused on stress or goals. Walter Hagen was one of golf’s first superstars. He won 11 major championships, third all-time behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (15). He captained the first U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1927 and went on to captain six teams in total. Hagen was known for his charisma, sharp dressing, and love of entertaining crowds, and he earned a fortune in exhibitions and endorsements, proving that a professional golfer could make a real living. He paved the way for future pros, both in money and in prestige. “The Haig” once said, “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t h...

From the time you were born, we’ve taught you values and character skills that we hope will help you become a great person, and we’ve spent time, money, and energy pouring into you. Then we send you off to high school, where our voice and message get challenged in ways we can’t imagine. That’s why I say, “High school can be a jungle.” It means high school can feel wild, unpredictable, and competitive—like a jungle where everyone’s trying to survive and find their place, and some people will try to bring you down or tear you down in the process. You are going to learn more about the world and the people in it than I would like sometimes, and you have to—get to—decide who you want to be. But remember, no matter who you share a classroom or locker room with, you always get to choose who you want to be. Every day before you leave the house, or before you walk through the school doors, think about that—think about who you want to be, and fight to be it. I say you have to fight for it...

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Are you showing up with enough consistency to match the goals you say you want? Greatness isn’t something you chase directly—it’s something that shows up as a byproduct of what you do every day. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most recognizable entertainers and athletes in the world. He went from college athlete, to wrestling icon, to global movie star and entrepreneur—while building a reputation as one of the hardest-working and most inspiring figures in entertainment. The Rock once said, “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” You don’t need to be the most talented, the smartest, or the best right away. What matters most is showing up, working hard, and sticking with it, even when it’s boring or difficult. Success is built brick by brick through stea...

“You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”  - Lionel Messi What are you willing to sacrifice today so you can become who you want tomorrow? One thing all great athletes have in common is that they are willing to sacrifice what they need to be what they want to become. Success doesn’t come free—it asks for trade offs. The people we admire most have given up comfort for growth, free time for discipline, and approval for purpose. They’ve sacrificed late nights, weekends, even their own fears, because they believed in something bigger. Success is about making a choice: do you want what feels easy right now, or what matters most in the long run? Every sacrifice is really an investment in your future. Lionel Messi is one of the best soccer players of all time. He said, “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” He also said, “I start early and I stay late, day after day, year after year. It took me 17 yea...

“I’m not the most talented, I’m not the fastest, but I work the hardest.” - Jerry Rice Are you getting everything you can out of your natural talent? Everyone is born with a unique set of strengths, weaknesses and gifts. What are yours, and are you getting the most out of it? Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history and one of the best football players of all time. He was known for his legendary working, conditioning, and discipline. Rice once said, “I’m not the most talented, I’m not the fastest, but I work the hardest.” He also said, “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” He was naturally talented, but he got more out of that natural talent than most because of how hard he worked and how hard pushed himself. Near his hometown in Mississippi, there was a steep, punishing hill. Rice ran it every day in the offseason, often leaving younger or even professional athletes gasping for air. He believed that ...

“I just kept saying, ‘Be brave.’ And, ‘Go for it.’ … I went after it, every single point. And if I missed it and I just didn’t execute, I could live with that. I didn’t want to have any sort of regret that I was passive and I missed.”  - Madison Keys Can you live with and move on from mistakes, or does the fear of failure leave you passive or paralyzed? Every coach and parent wants a confident, brave, courageous athlete who knows it’s not about being perfect but trying to be the best you can be. This requires being willing to try new things and make mistakes, fail, learn from it, and bounce back and try again. Madison Keys is a professional tennis player, known for having a powerful serve and a strong forehand. She once said, “I just kept saying, ‘Be brave.’ And, ‘Go for it.’ … I went after it, every single point. And if I missed it and I just didn’t execute, I could live with that. I didn’t want to have any sort of regret that I was passive and I missed.” If you want to be gr...

“The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself.” - Sonja Henie Do you know how much you're worth? Everyone wants to feel valued. Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star who became one of the most famous athletes and entertainers of the 20th century. She once said, “The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself.” You have the opportunity to set your own value first. Henie is saying that people around you will treat you based on how you treat yourself. If you carry yourself with confidence, discipline, and pride, others are more likely to respect you and see your worth too. If you undervalue yourself—whether in sports, career, or life—others won’t raise the bar for you. They’ll take the cue from the standard you’ve set. Instead of waiting for the world to recognize your talent or give you opportunities, you claim your value first, and then the world follows that lead. Know what your strengths are, invest in y...

“ All I kept saying to myself was: ‘Remove all doubt. Believe in yourself. You’ve got this.’ ” - Claressa Shields How do you push past the doubt? We all have doubts at times in our lives. The key is to remove and push past it. Professional boxer and former mixed martial artist Claressa Shields is a symbol of power and determination both inside and outside the ring. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer, and she is the only boxer—male or female—to hold all four major belts (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) in three different weight divisions. When she was asked to reflect on her journey to becoming an Olympic champion, Claressa said, “All I kept saying to myself was: ‘Remove all doubt. Believe in yourself. You’ve got this.’” Her words are a reminder that doubt doesn’t disappear on its own—it has to be replaced with belief, action, and persistence. Shields didn’t wait to “feel” confident; she trained, prepared, and spoke confidence into existence until it became real.  The same is t...

"It’s natural to wrestle with insecurities and fears as you navigate your sports journey. But I want to challenge you to learn to love and seek out joy and connection as your biggest motivators.” - Maya Moore Are you motivated by fear or love and joy? Maya Moore is a former professional basketball player who is considered one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time. She won multiple championships as in college at the University of Connecticut, multiple championships in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx, and multiple Olympic gold medals with our US women’s national team. Maya knows what championship teams look like, and she spoke on that in her Hall of Fame speech. In her speech, Moore said, “It’s natural to wrestle with insecurities and fears as you navigate your sports journey.” She later said, “But I want to challenge you to learn to love and seek out joy and connection as your biggest motivators.”  Moore said the best teams are the most connected teams, and when y...

"You are not your zip code. You are not your last name. You are not your setbacks. You are your vision. You are your work ethic. You are your will. You are the quiet whisper inside you that says, ‘I know there’s more for me in this life.’ Hold on to that voice—it will be tested.” - Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony is one of the best basketball players of all time. He came from rough, humble beginnings to become one of the most iconic scorers and a hero for so many people who grew up like him. In his Hall of Fame speech, he said he didn’t grow up with any guarantees, only grit and dreams, and the lucky ones had someone telling them to not give up on them. He said there were a lot of people around him telling him what he couldn’t do and to not aim too high. He then said, “To every kid watching, I want you to hear me loud. You are not your zip code. You are not your last name. You are not your setbacks. You are your vision. You are your work ethic. You are your will. You are the qu...

“Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best.” - Michael Johnson Are you more of a sprinter or a marathoner? Michael Johnson is widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters in track and field history. He won 4 Olympic gold medals, and at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he became the first man in history to win both the 200m and 400m at the same Olympics. He once said, “Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best.” I try to work hard every day so that when it’s time to perform, I’m ready. But like a sprinter, it's hard to maintain peak performance over long periods of time, so when I’m not performing, I’m resting and building. I’m resting and recovering, but I’m also building...

“You have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment!"  - Aly Raisman How do you overcome or get over the hard days? Life is full of ups and downs, and the best handle the roller coaster better than others. The challenges you face — tough practices, mistakes, failures, and setbacks — build your toughness and resilience. You can’t have a testimony without a test, and without difficulty, you can’t grow. Former Olympic champion Aly Raisman is remembered not only as one of the best American gymnasts of her era, but also as a role model for courage and resilience.. Raisman began gymnastics at age 2, and by 14 was competing at the elite level, eventually becoming the US team captain in two consecutive Olympics.  In the 2012 London Olympics, she missed out on an all-around medal due to a tiebreaker — a heartbreaking moment — but came...