 Advantage UsBasketball season is a long one.
Waking up for the morning workouts becomes harder and harder to get out of bed for. The early season, two and a half hour practices begin to drag on. And, the weight room sessions after practice twice a week is a bitter reminder of just how sore you are. The good news is the practices will eventually shorten. The bad news is that the other two things do not. Oh, and this goes on for all of November, December, January, February, and - if you’re lucky - some of March. Yes, the lucky ones get to keep doing it. While every season has its ups and downs, the Covid season of 2020-21 was marked with an unusual number of interruptions and distractions. Every team experienced disruptions and it became clear very quickly that the team managing the disruptions the best would have a distinct advantage. This insight proved to be true numerous times throughout the year. Our team alone experienced multiple shutdowns in which we weren’t allowed to practice or be together for several days in a row, only to jump right back into our schedule when the shutdown was complete. Our games, like most high schools across the country, were restricted to only parents and essential game personnel, making the gym eerily quiet for a varsity basketball game. We even had a directive from our governing body to not allow players to give each other high fives during play or coming in and out of the game … we weren’t the best at following through on that one. In the end, it wasn’t the disruptions that caused the problems. It was the response to the disruptions that ultimately limited most teams. Our group was proactive in this fight. We decided early on that we would face every distraction with a single, unifying and empowering mindset: ‘Advantage Us’ became our battle cry. Why Should We Care? Just imagine, for a second, a team that truly embodies an ‘Advantage Us’ mindset. No matter the circumstance, adversity, or challenge they remain undeterred. Their focus never waivers. Their belief never falters. Their commitment never comes into question. A team that sees each challenge as an advantage stays on the path. They aren’t distracted by trivial noise and obstacles. They aren’t even distracted by noise and obstacles that matter. Their conviction to the mission is unflappable. ‘Advantage Us’ teams deal in solutions, not problems. They are committed to finding a way, not an excuse. As a matter of fact, ‘Advantage Us’ teams don’t even see problems. The obstacles are simply just viewed as part of the process, not a mountain to be overcome but part of the path to be traversed. For many teams, struggle is a threat. A threat to their stability. A threat to their performance. A threat to each individual’s place in the group. Not so for ‘Advantage Us’ teams. ‘Advantage Us’ teams are strengthened, not weakened, by adversity. It tightens the joints, raises the standards, and secures the need for each individual’s role. ‘Advantage Us’ teams always win - if not in the moment, just give it time. It’s a simple choice, but not an easy one. REAL TALK - Action Steps On the surface, viewing all circumstances as an advantage for yourself and your team seems simple. And, it is simple. It’s a choice. One you can make at this moment. The problem is you have to make it again in the next moment. And, the next. And, the next. And, the next. There’s nothing easy about that. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind in order to choose ‘Advantage Us’ in every moment:
You know it’s the best way to approach challenges. You know it! It’s time to take action. No more excuses. No more blaming. No more complaining. Attack the opportunity: ‘Advantage Us’. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!
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 Senior NightsThe black t-shirts with the gold Superman logo are folded neatly in each senior’s locker, their jersey and shorts hanging above them. Tonight our six seniors will be wearing these shirts for our warm-ups in place of their traditional pre-game attire. They’ve spent their careers conforming to the group, conceding their preferences for the standards of the team. Tonight they’ll look different. They’ll do it together, but differently.
Following our final pre-game meeting with the team to review our scouting report I present each senior with letters from their parents. Several weeks prior I asked each parent to write their son a letter reflecting on their basketball journey, which for most is coming to an end - more than a decade of time to become a memory. A few read their letters right away, but most wait. Most get emotional, more than they expect. The smart ones take them home where there is time and space to reflect and appreciate the sentiments from their parents privately. We ask our players to share their memories as well. Each senior writes his parents a letter which we present to them just before senior night. In it we encourage them to not only reflect on the last ten years of basketball they’ve experienced, but also on what sharing it with their parents has meant to them. And, of course, say thank you. The letter is a great reminder that they did not get where they are by themselves. Our final tradition prior to the start of our senior’s last home game also takes place in our locker room, the space many of these guys have spent mountains of time. Our team returns to the locker room midway through our warm-ups to receive matchups and our final game plan reminders. On this night our senior parents join us in the locker room to close out pre-game. Following our normal routine, our seniors stand at their lockers while the underclassmen, coaches, and senior parents make their way around to thank and congratulate each senior. There are usually some tears, but a lot more hugs. Then, our team takes the floor for the last time of the season. And, for our seniors, the final time. Why Should We Care? Finality is an illusion most of the time … well, maybe all the time. But, it is a great reminder and reflection point if we’ll embrace it. While these rights of passage feel like the end; they are really just opportunities to recognize, appreciate, and act on the lessons learned. Sure that phase of life fades away from us and the impending change may generate undesirable emotions, but the growth we’ve experienced throughout that time doesn’t need to be lost. However, in order to be sure we capture and capitalize on this knowledge, we must take the time to stop and identify exactly what we want to carry with us. Without this intention, we will move blindly from one experience to another with no change of behavior. And, if your behavior is never changed by the experiences of our lives, how are we to ever grow and progress? How will we improve and get better? Those are pretty easy questions: we won’t. The speed of life fools us into believing that we don’t have time to slow down and reflect, to stop and remember. It’s also an illusion. In reality, it’s the only way forward. REAL TALK - Action Steps When we reflect, one of the first things we realize is the importance of our relationships. It’s less about what we do on the journey and more about who we’re with. Here are a few ideas for creating reflection points and taking inventory once you’re there:
What seems like an end is usually an opportunity - and it’s always a new beginning. If used correctly, these bridges to the future provide us with some of our best pathways to improvement. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!  The Comparison CapMost people think of Henry Ford when they think about the invention of the automobile. However, the true historian will know that Karl Benz is the one who should be credited with inventing the first automobile in 1885. Several others were working on self-propelled vehicles before Ford too, but he often receives the credit.
His invention, however, was far more reaching than just the automobile. Ford's real contribution was making the automobile available to the masses. The common, and accurate, assumption was that automobiles were only for the wealthy. At the time, the average person could do nothing more than fantasize about having a personal car. And, there was nothing in the automotive industry at the time that could change that reality. Well almost nothing. There was one that fought the urge to compare himself to other automakers: Henry Ford. By ignoring the status quo and industry norm, Ford revolutionized the manufacturing process and brought cars to the masses. By replacing expensive handcrafted cars with the moving assembly line he raced beyond one of the most commonly held comparison beliefs of the time. He not only changed the production of the automobile, he transformed the manufacturing industry all together. He didn’t invent the automobile, but he did change the world. All because he refused to compare. Why Should We Care? So, what comparison are you making that’s holding you back? Even the best, most buttoned-up people in the world can find margins to gain. Actually, it’s these people that are the most intune with finding these edges and consistently pressing them. That’s precisely what makes them the best. You have them too. You just need to stop comparing to find them. Have you ever noticed that the greatest musicians or artists are all a little “weird”. I don’t mean that as a negative label at all. It’s actually a label of admiration, respect. They’re odd and they not only accept it, they lean into it. It’s central to who they are. At some point in their life they’ve ignored the comparison with everyone else and chosen to see things, and themselves, differently. Excellence calls for the same mindset and intentional choice to ignore comparison. The comparison we are drawn to does nothing but limit us by coloring ourselves with the same brush as everyone else. It pushes us to accept the norm and be part of the status quo. Some call it normal. A better description is mediocre. REAL TALK - Action Steps Removing external limiting factors in our lives is usually very straightforward - not easy, but at least straightforward. By changing friends, environments, and daily routines we can usually eliminate the majority of those factors. However, the internal limiting factors are not as direct - mainly because we don’t want to believe them, or even know we have them. Here are a few ideas to shine light on our tendency to compare:
We build the walls and ceilings in our own lives with the comparisons we consistently make and accept. It not only limits our joy, but it limits our potential as well. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!  It's One or The OtherIt’s fall 2012 and our off-season basketball program is just getting underway. I’ve been a high school basketball coach for twelve years, but this one feels a little different. It’s my first opportunity to see the players at my new school, Centerville. I’m excited but nervous, hopeful yet skeptical. And, unfortunately, the first player citing doesn’t exactly calm the nerves.
As I walk into our cold, dark auxiliary gym the first player I see is a dusty blonde haired, chubby kid with a beat up cast on his right arm. He looks terrible - slow, not tall, AND with a giant cast on his arm … not exactly the makings of the player I am hoping for. Clearly this wasn’t the first time he had been shooting with his cast on though. He lines it up with his left hand, lets it fly, runs after his rebound, and repeats the process. Over and over, shot after shot. A few went in, most did not. But he kept shooting, that’s a good thing - I think! When it came time to pick teams, of course he hopped in line. After informing him he wasn’t allowed to play with a cast on his arm, he disappeared into the crowd of other players. He didn’t hide for long though. About ten minutes into the open gym I catch him on the court, playing on one of the teams at the opposite end of the gym from where I’m standing. I make my way to his court and let him know (again) that he’s not allowed to play with a cast on. He tries to explain to me that a player needed a sub so he just jumped in for them. Forget the fact that there were approximately twenty casteless-players standing on the sidelines waiting to play. About thirty minutes later I have to go pull him out of a game for a third time. Clearly, it would be easy to become frustrated by his lack of willingness to listen to my directions. But, I’m not going to lie, his persistence brought a smile to my face. And, the cast drove the point home. Why Should We Care? As you might guess, that young man turned out to not only be a great player, but one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. He was incredibly coachable, relentless in his effort, and always prioritized the team. But, it was definitely his willingness to find a way instead of an excuse that drew me to him. As a leader, you play favorites. And, one of the first things you appreciate in someone you are leading is the ability to see a possibility rather than an excuse. You’ve never worked with someone good at both - because they don’t exist. It’s impossible to search for excuses while focusing on possibilities. No one wallows in scarcity while appreciating abundance. One of the most difficult challenges for a leader is helping the people you lead see the possibility over the excuse, especially when things get hard. Call it hope if you want, but it’s critical as a leader that you provide, or at least suggest, it for your team. A mindset of possibility is certainly not something you can assume your team automatically has. Contrary to the approach commonly taken today, ignoring reality and painting everything with a hunky-dory brush is not an effective approach - even if everyone is doing it. The best people at focusing on possibility in difficult situations are perfectly in tune with reality while never considering an excuse. They maintain hope in spite of the conditions, not because of them. REAL TALK - Action Steps So, what do they do? The people that are able to ignore excuses, what do they do differently than other people … than the majority of people? How do they maintain this perspective? Here are a few thoughts to move in that direction:
You can’t have both. It’s one or the other: an excuse or a way. The more we train ourselves to see opportunity, the more opportunity we find. And, of course, the opposite is also true. Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here! |
About bcI'm a teacher, coach, and parent seeking excellence while defining success on my own terms. Archives
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