For my coaching friends: A little something to share with your team...
My grandmother gave me this years ago. I always like to read it to my team. We often forget that basketball teaches us so much about life. If we give to the game, it will always give back to us. Have pride in your school, your community, your family and yourself and all those you represent. Always give your best in all that you do. Hope you enjoy this and feel free to share it with your team. We should all be thankful we get to play and coach this great sport that we love. Sometimes we take it for granted. Best of luck to all of you in the post season!
Dear "Your team name",
When you play tonight, play your best. Play your hardest. But most of all ...play for me. You say you will, you say did, but you're wrong. Encourage, don't discourage. Smile, don't complain. Most importantly, look ahead-not behind.
When you play tonight, love your teammates. Love the ones that never do well, love the ones that are always the best. Love the person who loses the game for you. Love the person who gets all the cheers and compliments. Remember that I love them anyway and you should try to love them too.
When you play tonight, remember how blessed you are. You may ache all over, but it will go away. There are people who feel that way their whole lives. And there are people who can't feel. You may get frustrated at seeing a losing score on the scoreboard, but remember you can see. You may want to cry when your coach gets on you, but try to say thanks because you can hear. When you feel excited, when you feel hurt, remember these are gifts I gave you that compliment each other and that makes life a fascinating experience.
When you play tonight, remember there are people watching you. That's a scary though, but it's important. Be careful how you live, you may the only Bible some people read. People notice when you hug instead of yell, and when you win or lose well. Someone you've never even met may come away learning more for your team about life than about the sport.
When you play tonight, be humble. Don't try to the best, try to help the person next to you be the best. Don't look for glory, you won't find it. It will come when you aren't seeking it. Don't brag, don't flaunt your talents. Quietly work, think and try to improve. Make yourself perfect before working on your teammates.
And this last request...though it comes last, in my eyes it is the most important....HAVE FUN!!!
In competition it's easy to forget why you started playing sports in the beginning. Ten years from now it won't be as easy to remember who won or lost as it will be to remember if you enjoyed the sport. You don't know when you'll be able to play again, so go out there and use your abilities and love every minute of it.
Love winning because it is easy to love, but recognize that losing makes you become better. Love jumping, running, rebounding, and cheering. All over the world tonight there are people lying in bed dreaming of being able to do those things. And when it comes right down to it, that's what really matters, that you CAN do those things. It's not whether you win or lose, it's the fact that you are gifted, skilled and talented and win or lose....you STILL will be!
So when you play tonight, remember me. I'll be watching you. So put up a good fight. I believe you can win and I hope you think so too. Love what you are doing and always remember to laugh!
Love,
God
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