A Coach's Diary

To be the best, you have to study the best and compete against the best. Becoming the best is a privilege that you have to earn from hard work and dedication. Kobe Bryant is one of the best to ever play basketball. He made it a goal early to become the best. He then studied the best and he couldn’t wait to compete against the best. In one of his first interviews , Kobe said that he dissected the games of all the greats so that he could take different parts of their game and put them into his game so that he could be a well-rounded athlete. Kobe also knew that ups and downs were a part of the process. He knew that playing in the NBA was going to be a roller coaster full of ups and downs that was going to take a lot of mental and physical toughness, but he was willing to get in there and learn. Life is full of ups and downs, and so is being an athlete. Learn from others and learn from your mistakes. It’s okay to be nervous or to have a little fear, but don’t let nervousness or fear keep ...

Everybody is born with different strengths. Nobody gets everything, but we all get something. Some people are long, tall, and can see over and around everyone. Some people are short, quick, and can easily get around others. Some can shoot it well, some have a great arm, some can hit the ball out of the park, and some can run like the wind without getting winded. Our job is to figure out what our gifts, strengths, and talents are and put them to good use in our lives. You were fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14) . You were given special gifts and talents to serve one another and to bless the world . The world needs you and your strengths because no one can do what you do the way that you do it (Romans 12:6-8) . You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, t...

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...