A Coach's Diary

“Play every game like it’s your last, and there is always someone out there who wants what you want. ” - Allen Iverson Allen Iverson is not only one of the best basketball players ever, but also a cultural icon. At just 6 feet tall, he became the shortest MVP in NBA history — proof that heart can beat height. When asked to give advice to one of the top players in the country, he shared two lessons that stood out: Play every game like it’s your last, and remember there’s always someone out there who wants what you want. Iverson said no matter how well you play, always play as hard as you can. And when you’re at home watching TV or playing video games, remember — someone out there is working for the same dream. When you’re tired or tempted to ease up, remind yourself what you’re chasing and what it takes to get there. When it’s time to work, put in the work like your dreams depend on it — because they do. Question of the Day: How do you remind yourself to give full effort, especially wh...

“I’d rather have more heart than talent. You can’t measure heart.” - Allen Iverson Would you rather have more heart or more talent? In an ideal world, I would have a lot of both, but heart can take you a lot further than talent alone, especially over time. Talent may give someone a head start, but heart keeps you in the race when it gets hard. Heart shows up in effort, attitude, resilience, and the willingness to grow. It pushes people to train longer, show up earlier, bounce back after setbacks, and do the small things others overlook. Allen Iverson was a Hall of Fame basketball player, known for being a small giant in a big man’s game. He once said, “I’d rather have more heart than talent. You can’t measure heart.” Grit, determination, and passion matter more than natural ability in the long run. Allen Iverson is saying that while talent is valuable, it’s heart—the internal drive to compete, push through pain, and never give up—that truly defines a player. Talent can be seen in stats...

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”- Confucius Are you where you want to be? One thing I’ve learned is you can be ahead and behind at the same time. There is always someone ahead of you that you are chasing, and there is always someone behind you chasing them. The key is to never stop. Chinese philosopher Confucius once said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. You might be ahead today and behind tomorrow, or you might be behind today and ahead tomorrow, just don’t stop. You might feel like you are moving and growing at a million miles per hour, or you might feel like you are barely making any progress. No matter what, don’t stop. Allen Iverson was one of my favorite basketball players growing up. In an interview, he talked about how to keep going when expectations and mistakes are weighing you down. He said you get weighed down when you try to be perfect and are scared to make mistakes. He said, “You are going to turn...