March is finally here. If you are a basketball fan like I am, you
are excited because it is MARCH MADNESS. We'll soon be filling out our
brackets. There will be 68 top-notch teams in the NCAA basketball
tournament. I heard an announcer on ESPN say that this year's
tournament might be the most even tournament in NCAA history. Half of
the field has a shot at winning the whole thing.
Talent alone will
not set these teams apart. There are so many teams that have fairly
equal talent. Just like our team that has started their quest for an
8th high school state championship. We are talented but so are other
teams.
What is going to take us from talented to good? What is
going to give us an advantage over other talented teams? What
differentiates us from the competition?
- Learn from the past - we lost a game or had a setback at some point during the season. There was a time that we learned from somebody else's actions. We can do three things with the past: dwell in it, live in it or learn from it. We have beaten some bigger ranked teams and we've won 7 state titles in the past. That is living in the past. That doesn't win now. We can learn from this and try to repeat what made us successful. We have also lost 7 games this year. Some of our players have had off-games. Dwelling on these negatives isn't productive but learning what we could have done differently is advantageous.
- Next Play - Coach K at Duke has a saying, "Next Play". No matter what happens -- good or bad -- stay focused on what you have to do. If we hit a big three-pointer, instead of gesturing to the crowd or celebrating, how about we find our man. If we make a bad pass at halfcourt, get back and play defense. If our teammate gives up a backdoor layup, immediately turn your mindset to what I have to do on offense. This is semi-related to "Learn from the past" - move on to the next play.
- One Possession - Every possession matters. Every minute matters. Every day matters. What we do in practice today will help or hurt us in our next game. Everything matters. In a close win or loss, most people remember the official's call or the key free throw. Though not as memorable, the turnover or shot with 2:00 to go in the 3rd quarter counted just as much. Click here for the "It's Only One Possession" poem.
- Prepare to Win - Are we ready when our opportunity comes? Which of our reserves will see more minutes than usual? Which player will get more shots than normal? Which player will be the one to step up and energize the team with rebounding and hustle? Will we execute the key play at a crucial time? These are great questions that can separate the winners from the losers. Abraham Lincoln once said, "I will prepare and one day my chance will come." We must prepare physically and mentally for our opportunity. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
- Confidence - Whether we think we can or can't...then we are probably right. According to Thomas Edison, "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, then we would literally astound ourselves." I am not talking a false bravado or cockiness. All talented athletes have a bit of swagger to them. The confidence that will give us an edge is a genuine faith in ourselves, teammates and coaching staff. Whether we are facing adversity or triumph, rely on each other. The Indiana Wesleyan University women's basketball team is a perenial NAIA powerhouse. However, this year they went through a 3-game losing streak that included a buzzer-beater at home to their rival and a blowout loss to a team that finished dead last the year before. However, the team did not panic. They know themselves and each other and more importantly, believed in one another. Only a few weeks later did they win the conference championship game on their rival's home court. We need to believe that our teammates will do what they are supposed to do. When we miss our next shot, we need to have faith that our teammate will have our back and go rebound the ball.
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