I have played sports for the majority of my life and basketball has never been one of my favorite sports. However, now that I’ve retired from playing football, basketball is one of my favorite sports to watch on television. I don’t typically watch college basketball unless it’s the elite 8. I do however love to watch the NBA, most specifically the playoffs. It seems like the NBA players play at a higher level during the playoff season.
I know that the playoffs mean much more in terms of winning or losing. I however have been of the frame of mind that there’s only one season as it relates to effort. There is no regular season and playoff season when it comes to effort. In life you can’t decide to only put forth the bare minimum effort until you get close to achieving your goal, because you will never get close to achieving your goal. Every day requires a playoff effort.
I’m a LeBron James fan and by default a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. They are one of many teams that are guilty of not putting forth playoff effort during the regular season and then hitting a switch during the playoffs. That methodology worked pretty well during the Eastern Conference run through the playoffs. However, their flip the switch method didn’t work so well during the first three games of the NBA Finals. It was almost as if they didn’t know where the switch was. I was watching game after game just waiting for them to flip the switch only to sit motionless during the final minutes of the first three games wondering what in the world is going on. The Cavaliers came into the playoffs with the singular goal of winning an NBA Championships and three games into the NBA Finals all hope appeared lost.
Game 4 was a total different story. The Cavaliers didn’t just flip a switch, they were reborn. They scored 49 points in the first quarter which was a NBA Finals record. What was most amazing to me was the way they did it. Yes, they set a record for most three pointers made, but it was the type of effort they exhibited throughout the entire game from start to finish. Cleveland was able to comfortably beat the Warriors because of multiple effort plays from opening tipoff until the final buzzer. You can win games against lesser opponents without multiple effort plays, but you cannot beat great teams without out.
You must require what you desire. The greatness you desire will require multiple effort attempts every single day until you achieve it. You must work towards your dreams like your life depends on. Work like there is no tomorrow and then and only then do you have a chance at achieving greatness. Achieving average results requires much left effort, but who wants to be average. The greatness that I want is a requirement and I won’t settle for anything less. Will you?
We all go through tough times and sometimes it seems like we’re not going to get through it. We actually become stronger and wiser as we go through difficult times and it prepares us for whatever comes next. Nobody likes having to deal with trials and tribulations, but we are better equipped to help others when we can tell them how we overcame our hard times. I’m not saying that we should look for hard times, but we should expect them. It’s important that you stop being surprised by hard times and come to the conclusion that you’re either coming out of a difficult time, headed towards a difficult time or currently in a difficult time. Remember, it’s not what happens to you that’s important, but how you respond that makes all the difference in the world.
Often times, the bigger the difficulty, the bigger the scar. You shouldn’t however be ashamed of your scars, because your scars are an indication that whatever you went through didn’t kill you. Take joy in knowing that you survived the hardest time and have hope that you’ll survive the next difficult time that you go through. It is important however that you don’t focus on the scar. Learn to focus on how you have and how you will continue to grow through the process.
Xavier Coleman of the New York Jets is a perfect example of someone who went through a very difficult time in his life and has gotten stronger because of it. He didn’t allow his difficult time to break him. He used it to make himself a better person and to be an example of how others can overcome. When Coleman was in High School he fainted in religion class and then fainted a few days later in the shower. Soon after he was taken to the doctor and told that his football career was over and that no college would want him to play for their team. Doctor’s had discovered that Coleman was born with a serious heart condition called bicuspid aortic valve disease. Coleman was told that he could play noncontact sports, but all contact sports were out of the question. Coleman and his family were told that he probably wouldn’t need surgery until he was in his 30’s or 40’s. Unfortunately, the condition worsened and in 2012, Coleman underwent nine hours of open-heart surgery.
The doctors performed a successful operation and Coleman slowly worked himself back into shape to play High School basketball and Track. As time progressed and Coleman got stronger he was eventually cleared to play football again. Coleman returned for the final two regular season games of his senior year and he heroically intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Coleman didn’t have much High School footage of him playing football and therefore only received one scholarship offer which was from Portland State. Coleman excelled at Portland State and after four years declared himself for the NFL Draft. He went undrafted, but near the end of the draft the New York Jets expressed interest in signing him as a free agent. Coleman wasn’t discouraged by the fact that he wasn’t drafted. He viewed his opportunity as a free agent with the Jets as a blessing. Coleman has been beating the odds since High School and he has no problem doing it now. After all, he has a six-inch vertical scar going down the middle of his chest to remind him that you can overcome anything if you keep fighting. I don’t know about you, but I’m rooting for Coleman to make the New York Jets roster and become a starter someday.
For my entire childhood life I loved nothing more than football. I watched football year round. I would actually sit down and watch a football game and record it as I watched it. After the game was over I would go back and watch the recording to focus more on learning than entertainment. Football was and has always been my passion. I was committed to football almost above everything else. That level of commitment is what allowed me to play football at a Division 1 level and eventually get paid to play football. Passion and commitment however should not be relegated to sports. Passion and commitment to something bigger than sports is what matters most.
Pat Tillman was a successful NFL Football player for the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to playing in the NFL, Tillman played college football at Arizona State University where he excelled on and off the field. In 1997 he helped his team to an undefeated season and earned ASU Most Valuable Player honors. Tillman was an excellent student. He won the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award in 1996 and 1997. He was also the Sporting News Honda Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1997 and the 1998 Sun Angel Student Athlete of the Year.
In 1998, Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals and over time he earned a starting position on the team. He eventually set a new team record for number of tackles in 2000. However, after finishing the 2001 season, Tillman enlisted in the U.S. Army, turning down a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Cardinals to do so. Pat Tillman said, “Sports embodied many of the qualities I deem meaningful. However, these last few years, and especially after recent events, I’ve come to appreciate just how shallow and insignificant my role is . . . It’s no longer important.” Tillman went through training to become an Army Ranger and was assigned to the second battalion of 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington. He served in several tours of duty, including time in Iraq.
On April 22, 2004, Tillman lost his life while in canyon in eastern Afghanistan. He lost his life doing what he was passion about and committed to. Everyone who ever had contact with Tillman indicate that he never did anything without passion and being wholeheartedly committed to it. It is imperative that we teach our young athletes’ to do everything with passion and commitment. They can’t just be committed to sports. Sports are only one part of life. There’s so much more to life and Pat Tillman’s legacy is evidence of such.
I have like many of you been overwhelmed with the LaVar Ball craze that’s sweeping around our sports world. If I’m being honest, I at one time stated that I would never say anything about LaVar Ball because I think he’s received enough attention already. For those of you that don’t know, LaVar Ball is the father of former UCLA Basketball player Lonzo Ball and Chino Hills High School basketball players LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball. Many scouts believe that Lonzo Ball is a top 5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The younger two sons have also made a name for themselves at their high school. LaVar Ball is also the owner of Big Baller Brand and he has earned widespread media attention due to his sons’ rise in popularity and his controversial claims about his sons’ athletic abilities.
I was watching an interview on LaVar Ball and I heard him say that he planned for his sons to be NBA Basketball players form the start. LaVar Ball went as far as to say that he married his wife because she was tall and he thought they would make good basketball players together. He started training his three boys to play basketball when his youngest turned four years of age. They were taught a variety of basketball skills and later played for LaVar Ball’s AAU Basketball team. There’s no doubt that LaVar Ball has groomed his children to be NBA Players from the very beginning.
I like basketball, but football is and has always been my love. I however didn’t marry my wife based upon our perceived ability to raise NFL Players. I married my wife because she’s my best friend and I fell in love with her. I, like LaVar Ball did however begin training my children at a very young age. I can’t say I totally focused on a single sport, but I did focus on making them faster and more agile. While we did focus on speed and agility, football has always been their main sport. I started training my oldest son when he was five years old and he has been fortunate enough to always be one of the best athletes’ in all the sports he plays. My two youngest have excelled as well. I do believe that some of their success is due to their natural athletic ability. Their hard work over the years however can’t be overlooked. They are able to perform at a higher level than most, because they’ve trained longer and harder than most.
It is without a doubt a great feeling to see your children perform at a higher level than most, but it can also be a dangerous feeling. There’s a fine line between pushing your children to be successful and pushing them too far. Some children will never reach their full potential if they’re not pushed by their parents’ and coaches. Pushing children too hard however can cause burnout and the child may quit the sport altogether. Parents have to be careful not to go over the top trying to get their children to the top. You must find a balance between pushing your child and allowing your child to find his or her own way. Our children will not be under our supervision for ever and at some point in time they’re going to have to learn how to push themselves. Remember, great leaders create leaders, not lifetime followers.
Now, I know many of you are looking at the picture and the title and thinking to yourself how in the world is T.J. Tyus calling the San Antonio Spurs the dream team. There’s only one Dream Team and those of us old enough to remember know that they played in the 90’s. I am not by any means calling the San Antonio Spurs the Dream Team. What I am doing however is calling their system a Dream Team System.
I’m a diehard Cleveland Cavilers fan and it’s mostly due to LeBron James. James is my favorite player in the NBA and one of the main reasons is because he looks like a football player playing basketball. I’ve always liked basketball, but I never fell in love with it like I did football. It would be great to see LeBron and Cleveland win another NBA Championship, but I honestly believe that San Antonio Spurs has the best team in basketball. Sure, every team has a star and the Spurs are no exception. The Spurs main two stars are Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard. Tony Parker went down with a season ending leg injury during Game 2 of the Spurs series against the Rockets and many people thought the Spurs might not win the series. To make matters worse, the Spurs loss Kawhi Leonard for Game 6 against the Rockets. San Antonio yet again plugged in another player and soundly beat the Rockets. The Spurs loss two of their best players in the same series and still soundly beat a formidable team. Leonard came back for Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors and lead his team to a 20 point lead before he reinjured his ankle. The Spurs eventually loss the game by 2 points, but they were in it until the end without two of their best players.
The San Antonio Spurs are able to soundly beat formidable teams without their stars because they have built a Dream Team System. Their system is built on the premise that every player on their team has to capability of playing like a star and they need to be prepared to play like a star at any given moment. It’s imperative that we raise our young athletes’ to think the same way. Every young athlete won’t get the opportunity to be the main star on their team, but they need to understand that they can be star nonetheless. Players begin to play below their capability when they start to believe they can never rise above being considered a role player. Sometimes the team with the best player wins and sometimes the best all-around team wins. Longevity however always has and always will belong to the best all-around team. Success isn’t worth it if you can’t keep it. Focus on building youth teams with a Dream Team System.
Sending a son or daughter to college is probably one of the most nerve wrecking experiences that a parent can have. Most parents’ have never been apart from their child for more than a few days or maybe a week. Sure, some kids go on camps while in middle school and/or high school, but they’re not gone for an extended period of time. Sending a child off to college is not only an extended period of time, but parents’ are sending their adult child who makes their own decisions.
Student athletes who are fortunate enough to earn scholarship offers have to decide on what school to pick based upon the academics, athletics and coaching staff. Athletes’ that get recruited receive thousands of letters from collegiate teams and the highly recruited athletes’ receive phone calls and sometimes home visits from college coaches. College coaches are much like salesmen in that they are trying to sale you on the benefit of your child coming to their school to earn an education and to play sports. Undoubtedly, many parents’ have heard college recruiters say, “I’ll treat her like she’s my daughter.” That’s music to any parents’ ears; of course that’s assuming the coach treats his daughter well. I’m sure there’s been countless times when parents have heard a coach tell them that they will treat their child like he or she is their own child. The problem arises however when the coaches words are not genuine.
I was reading a story about a collegiate track athlete named Baillie Gibson and how she was in fear of her coach. Gibson was recruited to compete in field events at her school and her coach said all the right things to her and her parents’ when he recruited her. He said, “I’ll treat her like she’s my daughter.” Not long after Baillie arrived at school, she was treated very differently than her coach had described. For almost three years Baillie was engaged in a sexual relationship with her coach and when she tried to end it she was threatened with blackmail, violence. She states that she was forced into having a sexual relationship with her coach and then was in fear of ending it.
No athlete or person should ever be subjected to doing something against their will. Athletes’ are trained to trust their coaches and to do exactly what they’re told to do. There’s a great deal of mental power that coaches have over athletes and it’s important that parents try to teach their young athletes the warning signs of a coach’s behavior that’s starting to cross the line. Yes, it’s important for coaches to build a good relationship with their athletes, but the relationship should be that of a mentor and perhaps a parent figure. College is the first time most of our children are totally on their own and have to make life altering decisions. Oftentimes, their coaches become the people they put their trust in. Our athletes’ put their faith in the person that we have approved of as a coach. They should never have to fear their coach. Coaches should be in an athlete’s life to develop them and not destroy them.
I started playing football at 6yrs old and I’ve always played running back and linebacker. Call me odd, but even as a little kid I liked hitting people. No, I’m not talking about punching people. I’m talking about hitting people on the football field. I guess you can say I was a natural linebacker. As a linebacker my job was to find the person with the ball and hit them so hard that they wouldn’t want to play anymore. I prided myself in being the hardest hitter on the team. My dad loved telling his friends and other competitors how hard me and brother would hit people. There was a time however when my dad wasn’t happy about me hitting people. I was playing running back at the time and I had just broken through the line of scrimmage and had a clear path to the end zone. Instead of running to the open space and scoring the touchdown, I turned and ran towards an opposing defender just so I’d have the opportunity to hit someone. I did run the kid over, but I tripped over him and fell to the ground. My dad was furious to say the least. From that day forward, everyone knew I was linebacker.
I didn’t grow much after the 9th grade and people started to question whether or not I’d be able to have a long career playing linebacker because I didn’t have the prototypical measurements of a linebacker. I had a very productive Junior and Senior year of high school. I was recruited by Big 10, Big 12 and MAC schools. They expressed a great deal of interest in me, but wanted to know if I’d consider moving to safety or running back. There was another linebacker on my team who was highly recruited as well. His overall production level wasn’t as good as mine, but he stood 6’5 and I was only 5’10. He had the measurables and so they thought he had a higher ceiling. The scouts doubt in me frustrated me and eventually I started to doubt myself as well. I eventually signed with Central Michigan University. They recruited me to play running back, but they promised to give a chance to prove I could play linebacker. I started off my freshman year practicing with the running backs, but by the time I was a sophomore I broke the starting lineup as a linebacker and never looked back.
As I look back at the NFL draft that just passed last week I realize that every news media was talking about Myles Garrett being the best defensive player in the draft. He was selected #1 overall in the draft just like most experts predicted. However, when Derek Barnett was selected 14th overall I was very intrigued by the commentator’s comments. The commentator said, “Derek Barnett doesn’t have the measurables, but all he does is produce.” Myles Garrett had the height, weight and speed that every NFL team was drooling over, but it was actually Barnett who was the most productive in college. Barnett’s scouting report says that he lacks the explosive traits that most productive pass rushers have, but that he makes up for his weaknesses with his great awareness and consistently being in the right place at the right time.
It’s important that we teach our young athletes’ not to concern themselves with the measurables. They can’t control their height and weight. What they can control however is their consistency and their production level. It’s important for adults and youth alike to focus on being consistently productive and ignore the urge to measure ourselves against other people.
I have been training my three boys since they were 7yrs old. Their main sports are football, basketball and track. They have played other sports too, but those are the three sports they love the most. Track however is probably their least favorite of the three. There have been years when they told me that don’t really want to run. I encourage them to run anyway because I know that a faster and quicker athlete is a more dominate athlete in whatever sport they play. They actually enjoy competing, but it’s the training for track that they despise.
This year is my oldest son’s last year of middle school and he’s gotten pretty good at running hurdles. Running hurdles takes unique training, because you have to have good speed and good technique. My son has trained very hard over the years and in his first track meet as an 8th grader you could see the fruits of his labor. He won the 110 hurdles by at least three hurdles and he also won the 200 meter hurdles by a comfortable margin. In fact, it was his first time running the 200 meter hurdles and has never trained for them. All his teammates and the fans in the stands were cheering him on and patting him on the back telling him how great he was. He just smiled, stayed humble and said thank you.
My son’s last race of the day was the 4×4 relay. Every runner in the relay has to run one full lap around the track at full speed. This race by far is my son’s most difficult. The longer the race is, the worse he typically does. He was very nervous leading up to race, especially when he learned he would be the lead runner. The race started and sure enough he fell to the back of the pack. My son’s team was in last placed when he crossed the line and handed the baton off to the next runner. He immediately fell to the ground as if he had passed out and laid there for a few moments until he caught his breath. As he was walking towards the exit at the end of the meet, everyone continued to tell him how great he did in the hurdles. It was as if the last place in the 4×4 relay never happened.
I had to leave to go out of town directly after the meet and I told my son good job and got on the road. When I arrived at my destination, I received a phone call from my son. He said, “Dad, can you send me a workout to do.” I asked him why he needed a workout and he said, “If I’m going to keep running the 4×4, then I need to get better.” That statement for me was the greatest moment of the day. Anybody can win a race, but few people loose at something and decide to go work on it immediately. Most 14yr olds are playing video games or watching T.V. on a Saturday. My son however, wanted to go to the track to train before his next meet on Monday. My children have never trained without me unless they were training with their team. My son not only wanted to get better, he decided to do it on his own. It was at that point that I realized my son is more focused on the journey than the glory.
Life is full of up and downs. There are things that happen in our lives that make us feel great and there are things that make us feel horrible. Often times, the things that make us feel the worst are the things that happen in our personal lives. What we go through in our personal lives typically feels worse because it involves a person that’s very close and dear to us. Sometimes that person is someone who offended you or who was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness. However, in some cases you have someone close to you who dies. Death is and never will be easy to deal with, especially an unexpected death. Everyone responds to death differently. Some people want to take time to themselves and be left alone. Yet, there are other people who like to be surrounded by friends and family to help them get through the difficult time. I’ve lost some close people in my life and I went through both stages. When I first learned of the loss, I wanted to be left alone, but overtime I did want to be surrounded by family and friends. Some people however don’t always have the option to choose whether or not to be left alone.
Isaiah Thomas is one person who recently lost a loved one and did not necessarily have the option to choose whether or not to be left alone or not. Thomas is a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics in the NBA. The Celtics successfully obtained the #1 Playoff Seed in the Eastern Conference dethroning the defending champion Cleveland Cavilers who were last year’s #1 seed. The Celtics rise as been a surprise to many fans and Thomas has been the reason for their rise. Thomas has always been considered the underdog, mostly due to his small stature. He has however always managed to rise above the doubters and opposition. He prides himself on facing and overcoming challenges that come his way. On Saturday, April 15, he had no idea that he was about to face possibly his greatest challenge of his life.
On Saturday, April 15, one day before the Celtics were to begin their first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, Thomas learned that his sister Chyna Thomas was killed in a car accident. Thomas was reportedly practicing with his team when he received the news. Thomas was now faced with making one of the hardest decisions of his life; he had to decide whether or not to go home to be with his grieving family, or play in the first round of the playoffs with his teammates. Thomas had the choice to decide whether or not to stay with the team or be with his family. He however can do little to keep the media out of his face and his personal life. The gift and curse of being famous is that everyone wants to know what’s going on in your life and you don’t always want everyone to know what’s going on in your life. There are times you want to be popular and there’s times when you don’t. I’m sure this is a time when Isaiah Thomas would rather be a normal person so he can grieve in private.
Thomas decided to play on Sunday against the Bulls, just one day after he learned his sister unexpectedly died. I don’t know what factors played a part in Thomas deciding to play, but I’m sure that part of the reason was that playing Basketball gives him some sort of peace. Unfortunately the Celtics loss to the Bulls and the loss probably just added to Thomas’ pain. The majority of us would probably just call in from work and let one of our partners cover our work and nobody would know the difference. Thomas could have done the same, but it would have made a world of difference because he’s one of the best players in the NBA. There’s a certain level of pressure and expectation that professional athletes’ live with on a daily basis that most people will never understand. It’s important that we help our young athletes’ learn that there’s a great deal of pressure that comes with living in the spotlight and it takes a very grounded person not to break under pressure.
We all experience numerous ups and downs throughout our lives. I’m sure we all can think of an occasion or two when we were going through something so difficult that we didn’t think let alone know how we would ever overcome it. Yet, somehow overtime we found a way to get through it. It’s the getting through it that helps us grow as individuals. No matter how much we try, we can never truly avoid difficult times.
Difficult times can either develop you or destroy you. They are never meant to destroy you, but you inevitably make the decision as to what you allow to destroy you and what you use to develop you. Unfortunately, pain plays a major role in helping people make progress in the lives. Pain shakes people out of their comfort zone and that’s actually a good thing. You must get a little uncomfortable in order to grow and progress to the next level in your life. Everyone knows that there is a certain level of pain you experience when you lift weights. It’s not excruciating pain, but it can be very uncomfortable. It is during the uncomfortable stage that you do the work that helps your muscles grow. Mental strength is no different. Dealing with life problems is like lifting mental weights and it makes you stronger mentally. Your mind is the strongest muscle you have and it’s important that you develop it because it will determine the trajectory of your life.
DeMarcus Cousins is a NBA Basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans. He was traded earlier this year from the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings were the first and only team that Cousins played for when he entered the NBA. Cousins thought that he would end his NBA career with the Kings, but was surprised to learn during All Star break that he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Cousin’s relationship with the Kings front office was volatile at times to say the least. Cousins has always been a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve and is never afraid to voice his opinion. Yet and still, the trade to the New Orleans Pelicans was a bit unexpected, especially since Cousins was not notified about it before hand.
Cousins joined the New Orleans Pelicans with mixed emotions. He was upset at the way he departed Sacramento, but he was excited to be a part of a playoff contending team. Cousins was stressed to say the least. He was stressed about being traded and the personal pressure to help the Pelicans succeed instantly. Additionally, Cousins wasn’t use to the Mardi Gra environment that the Pelicans played in. Due to all the added stress, Cousins stated that he got to a point in his life where he was “mentally gone.”
It was at the point when Cousins felt mental gone that he decided it was time to take a trip home. During his trip home to Mobile, Alabama, he was able to spend time with friends and family and gain some perspective on life. He went back to his old neighborhood and hung out with some of his old friends who are still struggling to make ends meet. Cousins said that it humbled him to see his old friends and to be able to compare how it use to be for him and how it is now. He realized that the struggles he has now is nothing compared to what it used to be. Seeing his past allowed him to put his current life in proper perspective.
Proper perspective is realizing that you might not be where you want to be, but you’re a whole heck of a lot further than where you use to be. The people in his old neighborhood worry about what they’re going to eat tomorrow and Cousins biggest worry is whether or not he’s going to be able to be an instant success for the Pelicans. Everyone deals with their problems differently, but we should all make sure that we put things in their proper perspectives.