You don’t realize how much you don’t know or understand until you’re expected to know it all. And the pressure to have that insight and knowledge for the betterment of your team can either be the internal motivation needed to be successful or an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. You have to choose which attitude to have and it has to be a consistent, intentional choice and action.

            I’ve found that what drives me is the hope that in my words and actions, I can somehow serve those around me in the ways they need most. You have to listen before you can lead and you have to learn before you can teach (or coach). Admit mistakes. Accept failures as means to grow from. Know that with experience and patience comes improvement and wisdom.

            I believe if you put the team and the individual first, above the wins and losses, you gain something so much more valuable than the game itself. But I’ve also learned that as important as it is to know the person behind the player and to invest in their lives, that sometimes, in order to be a good coach of the game itself, you can’t let your relationship with the “person” influence or determine too much of how you coach the game. You can’t make coaching the game personal, or at least there needs to be a balance found within coaching between the person and the player. To make it work, I think a coach must know what to give on and off the court. But I know, as a coach, I want to always care more about the person behind the player.

            If you have a sound knowledge of the game, an open mind to continue learning and trying new things, and if you lead with passion and conviction, people will follow. And you must never lose your love for the game. But above all, I believe love and personal sacrifice must be laid as the foundation, and at the core must be something the entire team shares, which is a faith in Jesus Christ and the bond we have in each other.