Does your perspiration match your aspirations? I ask that question to each kid every Sunday at my basketball clinic. Everyone for the most part says yes. They say yes because they think that’s the answer I want to hear (which I do) but what they don’t understand is that I knew the answer for each one of them before they responded. It’s usually no.
And here lies the problem. We think we’re working harder than we actually are. But how hard do you need to work to achieve what you want? That’s a question that can only honestly be answered by you.
When I first started coaching I made it my mission to try and learn everything there is to know about the game of basketball. Despite never coaching before my goal was to be one of the best coaches in my conference, and being that most of the coaches had at least a ten year headstart on me already, I had to make it my priority to outwork every single one of them.
So that mindset started my journey. I was going to go to as many coaches clinics as possible, ask other coaches for advice and do whatever it took to get the upper hand on the other coaches in my league. One of the clinics I attended had a speaker that I couldn’t wait to learn from. His name is Bobby Hurley Sr.
Coach Hurley is a legendary high school coach in the state of New Jersey and had recently been elected into the basketball hall of fame. He s the epitome of what I feel a coach should be. He holds his players acoountable, he knows the game inside and out, and most importantly he cares. Each one of his players knows that despite Coach Hurley being a disciplinarian he cares, and that’s why they buy into his system.
So needless to say when I heard that he’d be one of the featured speakers at a clinic I was attending I was very excited. After Coach Hurleys lecture I stretched and looked over my notes before the next speaker. After a short introduction the next coach took the podium. As other coaches found their way back to their seats, I scanned the crowd. To my surprise I saw Coach Hurley sitting in the crowd ready to take notes. I couldn’t believe it! Here is this hall of fame coach taking notes and trying to learn more about the game he obviously knows inside and out.
I thought maybe it was for show (not knowing Coach Hurley at this point) so every once in a while I’d glance over at him, and sure enough he was taking notes just like I was. From that moment on I told myself that I have to work harder. It’s wasnt enough for me to be one of the best coaches in my conference anymore. The very best never stop trying to learn and if I ever had aspirations of one day reaching that level then I wouldn’t either.
“Dont be upset with the results if you dont put the proper time in to effect them”
So think about that when you’re feeling sorry for yourself. When you get cut from your sports team, or you get looked over for the job you wanted, did you do everything in your power to get what you wanted? If the answer is no then expect negative results, if it’s yes then even if you fall short you have nothing to be sad about.
