P (Preparation). "It's not the will to win but the will to prepare to win." I've discussed the RATION sisters, the little sisters Aspi RATION and Inspi RATION and the big sisters Prepa RATION and Perspi RATION. The precursor to preparation is thinking. What is working and what isn't? How can we do more of what works and less of what doesn't.
E (Enthusiasm) - Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm." Enthusiasm is one of the cornerstones of Coach Wooden's "Pyramid of Success." Two people absolutely have to bring enthusiasm every day, the coach and the point guard. Enthusiasm is more than energy; it requires positivity.
O (Optimism) - There's an old joke that was one of President Reagan's favorites. A little boy goes into the garage on Christmas and finds a pile of manure. He starts digging furiously and says, "I know there's a pony in there somewhere." In "Performing Under Pressure" Weisinger describes the "COTE of armor"...confidence, optimism, tenacity, and enthusiasm.
P (Practice). "Repetitions make reputations." - Kevin Eastman. The player willing to discipline herself, to sacrifice the time and the effort has a chance to achieve excellence.
L (Learning). Read. Listen. Think. Steve Forbes reads at least fifty pages a day. Kevin Eastman of the Los Angeles Clippers reads for two hours daily. That means he devotes 180 hours (minimum) each quarter to refining his craft. We suffer a significant literacy problem in the US. Because basketball is eighty percent mental, the more you do to enhance your understanding of the game, the better you can become. Reading is fundamental to personal growth.
E (Execution). It takes discipline to execute. Execution sums components from people, strategy, and operations. We have to improve our "workforce", have the right strategy for our market (grow the market (TEAM), grow the market (SUCCESS) share), and measure where our operations (ANALYTICS) our succeeding or failing. I know that my team has several big execution needs...improvement in rebounding and global zone offense execution. I need to make those priorities and emphasis within the available offseason workouts.
