bcg blog

Blue Chip Reflections

We just spent last weekend with the North Coast Blue Chips.
The Blue Chips were a national sensation in the grassroots basketball world from the fall of 2015 through the summer of 2019. The team was composed of eleven year old boys, including Bronny James, LeBron James’ son. 

Like most youth basketball teams, players came and went but the three that lasted from start to finish were: Bronny, Khoi Thurman, and our son, Gabe.

Reflecting on Gabe’s time with the Blue Chips, reminded me of a few important leadership lessons that have been beneficial numerous times since.

Here are a few of them.

• Treat People Right
  

The initial connection for Gabe to Blue Chips was from Coach Smed, from the Dayton Swish. The director of the Blue Chips, Clyde Jackson, met Coach Smed at a youth basketball tournament the summer of 2015. Clyde, knowing he was starting a new team in Ohio since Lebron was now with the Cavs, asked Coach Smed if there were any players in his area that they should invite to the tryout. Gabe’s 4th grade team played Coach Smed’s team in the championship game, but he had played against and coached hundreds of kids by that time. He could have recommended a lot of kids to Clyde, but he recommended Gabe. I truly think part of his willingness to do so was a result of how he was treated. You never know the impact you have on others, but I do know that Gabe’s basketball journey was significantly impacted by Coach Smed’s support. 

• Embrace Curiosity
  

When Clyde called me the first time asking Gabe to attend tryouts, I said no. As a high school coach, my view on AAU basketball was jaded. A week later Clyde called again, this time with an emphasis on allowing Gabe to just play against some really good players even if he didn’t want to be on the team. That thought appealed to me much more so I agreed to bring Gabe to the tryout. To that point, Gabe had played zero AAU basketball. He was in 4th grade and virtually all the players at the tryout would have at least 2-3 years of competitive basketball experience under their belts. How Gabe would compete with them given his lack of experience was intriguing and, I thought, would give Gabe significant feedback on what he needed to do to continue improving.

• Go For It
  

During the first water break of the Blue Chip tryout, Gabe walked up to Bronny and asked him to play 1 on 1. He had never spoken to Bronny, they had no idea who each other were. I remember looking at my wife as we were watching and asking with bewilderment, “What is he doing?!” Needless to say this decision by Gabe was not prompted by a suggestion from myself or his mother. However, looking back, I think this was one the biggest factors in Gabe being selected for the team. As the coaches watched, Gabe and Bronny exchanged baskets, misses, and high fives as they finished up and the tryout resumed. Those selecting the team couldn’t help but appreciate Gabe’s willingness to go for it. 

• Dispel Judgment
  

So many people are quick to point out all of the negatives of youth sports - the pressure to perform, overzealous parents, and a ridiculous amount of money for a weekend tournament. Those are all true, by the way, but they are definitely not the whole story. Like most things in life, youth sports aren’t good or bad. They just are. We, in our effort to place each event in a nice, clean bucket always attempt to label our experiences as one or the other. The perseverance triggered by the failures, the confidence gained through the work necessary to just compete, the time traveling together as a family, and the relationships with kids they would have never met are all significant benefits to youth sports. Even these, however, can be turned sour if not viewed through the proper frame. The experience, like any other, is all about what you decide to make it. Giving away that power is the first step to a victim mentality.

• Be You
  

 As they say, everyone else is taken. What’s the point of changing who you are as a person for others to like you? I mean, all that shows is they like the not-you. As Gabe faced adversity throughout his time with the Blue Chips, one of the first things we did was sit down and identify core values and behaviors that he wanted to live by. Once he had those established, I would help him base his success on how well he fulfilled his values rather than the unrealistic expectations heaped on him and the other Blue Chips. Gabe identified selfless, devoted, and joyful as his values. They not only helped him realize who he was, but also provided him with a home base to return to anytime things became overwhelming from the positive or negative. We all are a work in progress, Gabe is no different. He strays away at times, and I see one of my most important duties as a parent is to remind him of who he is.

There are plenty more great memories that were brought back to the surface last weekend with the Blue Chip reunion. Hopefully this message will spurn you to take the time to reflect on some of your own past experiences and the lessons that have stayed with you from them, while also realizing you are currently in the midst of experiences now that will provide you with future guidance in the years to come.

For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. 
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