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Coaches, pay attention to the "basketball experience."
In 1972, our high school basketball team was 8-12, a perennial second division team in a league that birthed a future NBA first rounder (Lexington's Ron Lee).
Objectively, my role as 7th or 8th man, was limited. I never started. But I never felt devalued or disrespected, even playing the final eight seconds in one game...that we won. An apprentice doesn't run the show.
Coach Ellis Lane raised standards and kept everyone engaged, regardless of role or minutes. We persisted.
Fast forward to March of 1973. The team had voted me captain (I chose the title Team Representative) and I played all 36 minutes (including overtime) of a one-point sectional title game win in Boston Garden.
I was never the star; mastery and meaning triumphed through persistence. Seek contribution not validation.
What fosters a memorable basketball experience? Three areas stand out.
Positivity.
Better days are coming. Believe. After a crushing two point loss to Lexington early in the season, Coach Lane lambasted us for 45 minutes. "The better team lost." He added, "We won't lose to them again." We didn't, because he showed us "the obstacle was the way."
Coach never allowed us to stop believing in him or in ourselves.
Optimism.
Some say, "You never stay the same. You're either getting worse or getting better." Process, including habits, provide a chance at improvement. How we apply ourselves matters. Earn confidence through relentless work.
It mattered then; it still matters.
Service.
I never told players to play for the community, the school, or the coach. "Play for the girl next to you." Serve the team.
Service disallows selfishness, softness, or sloth. "The game honors toughness." Only the tough can serve under duress.
Positivity, improvement, and service. Raise standards to raise performance.
Lagniappe. Feelings drive habits. Habits drive performance. "If you can think ahead, which in turn enables you to feel ahead, you give yourself a better chance of making the right decision in the moment." - Brad Stulberg in The Way of Excellence
