1. You can never be any better than you believe you are. What we write and what we say matters.
Few people choose failure when given reasonable alternatives. But when we empower failure, we won't succeed.
2. Don't enable failure.
A lifetime ago (1973), we lost a home, regular season game to Lexington High (three time consecutive State Champion) by two in overtime. Coach Sonny Lane held an emotional forty-five minute post-game meeting, locker banging and door slamming. "They are not better than we are. They won because they had LEXINGTON on their shirts. We will not lose to them again."
Later that season, we traveled to Lexington and blew them out, 70-52, during a thirteen game winning streak. This culminated by beating them in overtime in Boston Garden to win the school's only basketball Division 1 sectional title. Peter Gammons wrote the article as a 'cub' reporter.
That rancorous, painful meeting made believers. Coach didn't accept mediocrity when excellence was the alternative. Challenge yourself to achieve on the court and in the classroom.
3. TRY is a failure word.
If it happens, so be it. TRY isn't a word for us; it's banned from our lexicon. Just as Urban Meyer refers to "that school up north," we don't TRY. We DO.
Last night, I relocated the "QB layups" to the corner. Offense straddles the three point line and defense has both feet outside. Defense loosely holds the ball with one hand atop and below. Offense snatches and scores and defense chases aggressively. The second player (covered by a bigger player) took a second dribble and made a perfect reverse layup with her right hand off her left foot. Leave your comfort zone.
4. Level Five Leadership blends ambition and humility.
Ambition doesn't guarantee success, but lack of ambition guarantees less than your best. Ambition doesn't accept CAN'T. When we worked on reverse layups, my assistant remarked, "that's pretty ambitious for sixth graders." If not today, then when? We have to find ways to finish. That doesn't mean spending a lot of time on low usage play, but young players need exposure to the breadth of the game.
5. Set varsity goals.
Design practice to allow players to contribute at the varsity level as freshmen. Most will not. This season our high school's leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker is a freshman. A different freshman has the highest free throw percentage. Both worked hard and earned early success. Compete. Work. Succeed. Failure is not an option.
Lagniappe:
Manitoba rebounding drill.