It's better to read a great book twice than to read ten bad books. It's the same with Masterclass. Geno Auriemma talks leadership. Coach Auriemma's autobiography (Geno) shares that his early years were spent poor in Northern Italy. The children slept around a fire of coals. He rolled into the fire at age 2 and sustained burns that left scars. Life and basketball leave scars. Here are some excerpts/quotes:
"When you can become a great teammate, you can become successful at anything you do."
"Someone will always want you as a teammate." (If you are a great teammate)
"You know...your peers...want you on their team."
"If it were just skill and you were a horrible teammate, they wouldn't want you on their team."
Our family is our first team.
"I don't like the decision...but it benefits the family."
"You start to respect...the number one decision that has to be made is what's best for the team (family)."
"Mastering a skill is difficult...learning how to master being part of that group and blending your skill with others...that's what's going to make you happy."
"Do you realize that you don't do anything when you don't have the ball in your hands?"
"How many rebounds did you get? How many assists? How many steals?" Player answers, "None" (she didn't play in the half). "Good, that's exactly how many you got at practice yesterday." And the light goes on in her head. "She got a triple double in the second half." (And became MVP of the Final Four)
"Become more concerned with helping your teammates."
"The best players....get a sense...of what this team is about...and figure out...how do I fit in? Do I want to fit in?"
"What you bring to that team, you have to bring to the team every day."
"When you do something by yourself...who are you having a reunion with in twenty years?"
Lagniappe. What do you think makes a great teammate?
- Prioritizes winning.
- Makes everyone around them better.
- Willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.
- Experiences joy in the success of others.
- Shares in distributed leadership.
