Collect stories that embody those principles, realizing they may open doors for further study by our players. Here are a few of mine. We coach basketball and life.
Some examples:
Toughness. Women have completed the grueling Army Ranger School.
Sacrifice. In "Made to Stick" the Heath Brothers share the power of stories. One example is Floyd Lee, a retired Army food specialist who returned to transform the Pegasus Chow Hall in Iraq into high quality dining for American troops. Lee explained that he wasn't in charge of dining but of morale.
Achievement. Francis Perkins rose from humble circumstances to become America's first cabinet level appointee under President Franklin Roosevelt. As a young woman, she witnessed the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, where young women locked in a garment factory sweatshop died in a fire. As a reformer, she said, “I promise to use what brains I have to meet problems with intelligence and courage.” Perkins also helped promote laws to restrict child labor and establish a minimum wage.
Resilience. Wilma Rudolph, one of 22 children, had childhood polio. Her doctor told her she would never walk again. She never believed him. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, she won three gold medals, including a world record in the 100 meters.
The Power of Education. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a Professor of Rhetoric and Language at Bowdoin College in Maine. He had no formal military training but served as a Union officer during the Civil War. He cobbled together forces from the Maine 2nd and 20th at the southern tip of Gettysburg and helped win a fierce bayonet counterattack at the Battle of Little Round Top with his men out of ammunition. He received Lee's sword at Appomattox and later was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor and. When asked how a Professor became a military strategist, he answered, "I can learn."
Courage. Arlene Blum led the first all-women's expedition in 1978 to climb Annapurna, one of 14 Himalayan peaks above 8,000 meters. Two members of her group summited the mountain and two died during severe storms. Women have the capacity for boldness and adventurousness, experiencing the same fulfillment and tragedy as men.
But she was also a scientist and helped author important work that led to removal of cancer causing chemicals from children's sleepwear and furniture.
Performing Under Pressure. Spencer Haywood had a tryout for a scholarship at the University of Detroit. At one point the coach offered him a scholarship if he could make fifteen consecutive free throws. Haywood did and the rest is history, including induction into the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame.
Agent of Change. Malala Yousafzai was a ten-year-old girl in Pakistan when she became an activist for education for girls. Local government officials and some religious leaders fiercely opposed. She survived an assassination attempt and became a global advocate for girls education, winning a Nobel Peace Prize.
No excuses. Kyle Maynard climbed Kilimanjaro...born with rudimentary arms and legs.
"Focus on what you can do."
Find stories that have meaning to you.
Lagniappe. "Basketball is a game of creating and preventing separation." Find some change of direction/change of pace techniques within the video to adopt.
Lagniappe 2. Cross-screens are hard to defend, especially when leading to mismatches. Zak Boisvert shares another problem action, slipping the screen against defensive overreaction.
