A Coach's Diary

There is a saying that winning cures all problems. We praise winners, and we criticize or dismiss the losers. When you are winning, everyone is happy. When losing comes, so do the excuses, finger-pointing, and blaming. The best teams and the best teammates learn how to manage both winning and losing in a productive way. I say learn because managing winning and losing effectively can take time.  When you have momentum and when you are winning, try not to get too high. Stay humble, keep working hard, and keep making the next, right play. When you are losing, don't get too down. Stay hungry and confident, and find ways to make the next, right play. Success in sports and life are all about making the next, right play. But doing the right thing is easier when you have momentum and when everything is going your way. Anybody can be a great teammate when things are going great. The best teammates can be a light in darkness and do the right thing when nothing is going right and hope is lost...

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Great teammates are the light of the team. They are like the stars that light up the sky at night. They are like a lamp that lights the way. They bring much-needed energy, enthusiasm, and passion, and many of them do so from the bench while cheering their teammates on. Every great team needs great teammates to bring people together, especially when times get tough. Simon Sinek once said, "In a weak culture, people will hunker down and take care of themselves. In a strong culture, people will rise up and take care of each other." In 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, Paul says that we now have a light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves (2nd Corinthians 4:6-7). In Matthew, Jesus said, "You are the light of the w...