Joy, Laughter and Success

This team is unique and different as all of my teams have been, but this one seems to generate energy off of fun and laughter. When they laugh together, they find unity and when they find unity, they play well. So in lieu of my usual intense self, I've had to relax with them and just enjoy the moment which quite frankly has made my life easier and less stressful.

As they have discovered fun, they have become stronger in their play. In our most recent two games, both of our opponents made hard runs at us, closing the gap within the final minutes, pushing us to change our tempo and our approach to the game. During timeouts when the game got tough, I looked into the eyes of our players and I didn't see fear or anxiety but the relaxation which comes only through faith and joy.

Some teams get angry at one another when things get tough, some scream and yell, others panic, or find fault with their teammates, but this team has decided somewhere in that vast mysterious part of the body called the brain to reach for joy. In the game against UPJ, as I gathered my coaches away from the bench during a timeout to discuss strategy, the players had already decided what they wanted to do and had found some manner of lightness with which to present it. By the time I got to them, I could see they had already made the resolution and pact to win, yet they politely gave me their attention as if trying to make me feel good about my efforts.

Winning to them is important but more importantly they want to feel good about what they are doing. They want to love the game and to love playing the game. By doing this, they have found the true key to success which is passion for what they are doing.

I am happy to be a part of what they are generating on a day-to-day basis. I have to keep reminding myself of who they are and how they operate--that they are fun-loving people who want the best from life. So the most important thing we can keep doing as a group is to continue to have fun, to laugh, to find the joy of doing our best and to allow those things to flow through us. I believe by doing this, success will simply flow and we won't have to strive hard for it.