Jim Valvano, the former legendary coach at NC State once said, “Every morning when you get out of bed you only have two choices. You have the choice to work hard or you have the choice to not work hard. It is totally up to you.” The most powerful part of that statement is that not working hard is actually a choice. And he is 100% right. Whether you are a coach or a player, you have complete control over the effort you put forth every workout, every practice, and every game. The most successful coaches and players consistently make the choice to work hard. Do you?
Coach Valvano was right; every single aspect of our lives actually does come down to choices. Some choices are easy and less significant, like what to eat for breakfast, and others are more complex, like where to attend college. But they are choices nonetheless. Don’t ever take for granted how fortunate you are to have the power to choose.
I had a player tell me one time, with a big smile as if he disproved this theory, “I didn’t choose for it to rain today.” “Of course not,” I said, “but you have the choice in how you let it affect you.” Obviously you don’t control everything in this world, but you do control how you react and how you respond. You don’t control it when you go up for a jump shot and land on another player’s foot and sprain your ankle, when the ref makes a bad call or when your teammate turns the ball over during a critical point in the game. But you certainly control your response to each of those situations. And that response is your choice and speaks volumes about what type of person you are. When you sprain your ankle, do you pout about it and wallow in self pity? Or do you follow the trainer’s orders to re-hab it, continue to be a good teammate from the sideline during practices and games, and find others ways to contribute? When the ref makes a bad call, do you mouth off or get mad? Or do you put it behind you and move on to the next play? When your teammate turns the ball over, do you yell at them and use negative body language? Or do you pat them on the back and make up for the turnover by playing extra hard on defense?
Every one of us is a product of the choices we make on a daily basis. Wherever we are in life, we are there as a result of the choices we have made. If you are happy and successful, it is because of your choices. If you are unhappy and miserable, it is also because of your choices. Stop pointing the finger.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is:
“If you keep doing what you’ve been doing; you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting. If you don’t like what you’ve been getting; quit doing what you’ve been doing!”
That is a powerful statement and every word of it is true.
What kind of choices are you making now that the season is about start?
Players, are you choosing to get plenty of sleep at night? Are you choosing to eat breakfast every day? Are you choosing to stay after the workout and get up additional shots? Are you choosing to work out and play as hard as you can, every day? Are you choosing to be a good teammate, both on and off the court? Are you choosing to be coachable?
Coaches, are you choosing to provide innovative and creative drills in your pre-season workouts? Are you choosing to reinforce the importance of leadership, toughness, communication, and competitiveness? Are you choosing to meet with your players, one on one, to discuss their role on the team? Are you choosing to evaluate your players (and staff) and formulate a game plan and philosophy for this year? Are you choosing to review last year’s practice plans?
These are all choices. Your answer to these questions and the choices you make will dictate the type of season you will have as well as the type of player/coach you will be.
Here is a quick overview of the next several week’s blogs:
Later this week I will post the final “Montrose-ism.” It is my favorite… a poem called “One Possession.” It is a tad corny, but definitely something you should share with your team.
Next week I will recap my Top 10 experiences from the last 10 years. It is hard to believe I have been doing this professionally for the last decade! I have been so fortunate to meet some amazing people and experience some amazing things in that time; I look forward to sharing my ten favorite.
The following week I will preview this year’s Montrose team and give some insight to our personnel as well as our 2009-2010 schedule. The first two weeks in November I will post tips for starting the season! All the while I will be posting motivational talks from clinics and exercises of the week at www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom.
As always, if I can help you or your program in any way, don’t hesitate to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein