"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson
I share Jackson's quote most often because I wholly embrace its brevity and expansiveness.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle
For starters, we can discuss the 'value' of coaching. There is no "best coach" but we might agree there might be an excellent coach for the situation. As coaches, we share our knowledge and experience, sometimes acquired effortlessly and other times via immutable suffering. We want to share the pleasure of excellence but not the pain of suffering, realizing they are inextricably linked.
"Winning isn't everything, it is the only thing." - Vince Lombardi
If we apply Lombardi's message to our coaching, then we are likely to be literally and figuratively "sorry". The discipline of excellence in (developmental) coaching requires that players come first. If players only matter to the extent of their utility, then we guarantee inequality, disappointment, and failure. I believe that Brad Stevens admonition to be "warm and demanding" holds us to a higher standard.
If we remember those whom we hold most dear in our lives, we probably recall the best sharers - family, friends, and colleagues who were willing givers. Those gifts are more likely to be time, shared experiences, or mutual values than money or "things". And if we can provide value, then we, too, share our intangibles.
That sounds easy enough. But how best can we do what we do, while positively impacting our students and improving ourselves? How do we become better givers and better learners?
We need to see and feel how our actions affect others and cntinually remake ourselves. "Be demanding without being demeaning." Can we challenge others to 'rise up' without having a positive attitude and a growth mindset ourselves? "The difference between who we are today and whom we become in the next five years are the people we meet and the books we read." Share a broader experience through encouraging learning and reading in our mentees.
"Championship teams have truth. Truth = Live it, Tell it, take it." - Kevin Eastman
Trade in 'the truth'. We need to be able to hear the truth and tell our players the truth. False praise is faint praise. Recognize the simple power of words, "I believe in you." Sharing a kind word can change a player's life.
Sports afford us the opportunity to experience the highest highs and the lowest lows. We have a great responsibility to mold young lives. "The strength of the emotion is like thunder in the air," remind the Moody Blues. The journey binds us in unfathomable ways. Share wisely to make a difference.
