Everyone wants to score double digits. It's not going to happen. That's not how teams work. Teams start by thinking "We." Not me. As a coach, the only option is "We." How are we going to gameplan for this team? How are we going to score? How are we going to execute this specific thing? What type of defense are we going to be in during a ce
rtain situation? All of these decisions are always what is best for the team. I don't think there is a coach out there who wants to lose. Yes, losing is inevitable, even for the UCONN women's team. It will happen. But every coach prepares to win. Actually more accurate of my beliefs is that you do the things necessary to put you in a position to win. You can't just say, "Let's win." You have to do all things that are necessary of your specific team to put you into a position to win.When I think of buying in the first thing I think of is serving others. If a player is out on the court looking to serve others by getting others involved, passing them the ball, cheering from the sideline, then good things are going to happen. Serving others can also be used when you are taken out of the game. The action that you should take should be one of a boost to the person coming into the game for you. You should be elated that someone else is going to get an opportunity to play in a game. During our last game, I was sitting on the bench and one of the players got an opportunity. He came in and played great. He executed what he was capable of doing. The guy that came out was so mad he got taken out he didn't care his teammate had just contributed greatly to the game in our favor. He was stuck on selfishness that he couldn't be playing right this very instant. (Side note - if you are a non-starter or a bench player, you always have to be prepared, because when your time comes you must be ready. If you're not, you might not get another chance.) Turning selfishness to service is the first step in playing together.
Another characteristic of buying in is sacrifice. Sacrifice is not doing the things that you would like to do. You want to start? You don't get to. You can sulk and feel sorry for yourself and inevitably hurt your team in the long run, or you can choose to come in and give your best effort when you get the opportunity. You can choose to make the best of the situation by cheering from the sideline important information to your team. There is some sort of moral discretion that must be made. Do you care about others on your team or are you a lonely island? This is an attitudinal (is that a word?) choice. There is always a choice to be made and in the end the choice you make, makes you. - Coach John Wooden, I believe.
There is a couple of quotes that I have come across that I believe speaks to sacrifice, serving, and buying into the system.
“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” Edward Ev
erett Hale
This is said by the Ohio State football team prior to taking the field on gameday. Each person has a responsibility. They can do it. It's up to them to do it. No one should ever just be sitting there on the sideline doing nothing, because there is something that you can always be doing.
"At least do your job."
This was in a locker room that we have been in this year while playing a road game. It's painted on the wall right next to the door which serves as a reminder. At least do your job. Do what you should be doing and if you do more, than that is great, but at least do your job and do it well.
I'm on Christmas break. It's been a while since I have last posted anything. It feels good to sit down and think about things and share with others. I would love to have some feedback on this.
