Making Moments: Practical Tips for Enriching The First Day Experience

Remember your "First Day Experience" like first grade, first day of high school or college, starting a new job, getting married? Some were memorable and others less.

In The Power of Moments, the Heath Brothers share what makes special moments. For example, they inform how John Deere Asia introduces the new employee to the culture. 

For our new teams, did we make the First Day Experience special? If so, how and if not, how can we do better? 

Prepare a better introduction. EPIC. Elevation - Pride - Insight - Connection. 

Add multimedia. Show players and family what is possible. 

Players navigated their way to ten consecutive league titles and four sectional championships. A sectional title buys YOU a trip to the TD Garden, the parquet. Half a dozen players made it into the high school Athletic Hall of Fame. Dreams come true. Coaches help take players where they cannot go alone. 

Work makes everything possible. 

Sheylani Peddy was all-everything at Melrose High School. She earned selection to the Boston Globe Dream Team. At Temple, she was A-10 MVP. She was a finalist for Euroleague MVP. And she earned a WNBA championship ring. 

Sam Dewey was 'queen of the notebook' filling it with basketball knowledge. She has at least four D1 offers after coming through our program. She made herself a national prospect. 

Cecilia Kay doesn't take repetitions off. As a freshman, she played a D1 commit even in multiple games this year and averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds. 

What could we do? Always greet individual players by name. On the first day of practice, players had practice jerseys, nothing fancy, just reversible practice jerseys, laminated handouts (the John Wooden Pyramid of Success), and a Composition Notebook, a blank slate. Elevation. 

Now, we could Zoom including parents to set expectations. In other words, get everyone on the same page before we're on the hardwood. Outline our philosophy... simple and clear.

1. The best players make those around them better, on and off the court. "It's about the scoreboard, not the scorebook."
2. Teamwork, improvement, accountability. 
3. It's not about me or you; it's about us.
4. How you play reflects your life. Don't cheat the drill, the homework, the study. 
5. Explain UCONN practice laps. "Champions do not cut corners." 
6. Person > player. 
7. Process > results. 
8. Roles. "Become more to do more; do more to become more."
9. "The only shortcut to excellence is mentoring." Find mentors.  "Look for the helpers." - Mr. Rogers
10. Winning is the reward of great process, but children are not human sacrifices to winning. 

We've never had a lot of rules. More rules don't make better players. Come on time. Listen. Work hard. 

If you want success, improve your craft, whether it's school, music, drama, athletics, or any other discipline. 

Lagniappe. Hakeem the Dream. 

Lagniappe 2. Horns, elbow entry, backscreen, pass and pitch for corner 3.