Every year brings with it new challenges and opportunities. The unknown can be disastrous if it is feared or it can be joyous if it is looked upon as an adventure. What is important at this stage of the year is the attitude of the players involved. It is their belief system which will determine whether this year is one to be remembered and cherished or one to be forgotten and stashed deep within themselves.
In searching for the answer to this question, I look at the upper class players to see how they have grown internally. I am always more concerned with the strength of their minds versus the strength of their bodies.
I can see the strength of Katy Arick who finally after three years of failing the 12 minute run succeeded. She has always known this battle for her was not one of her lungs or legs but one of her mind. It was the little child within her telling her she couldn't that would not allow her to make the run. Finally she has learned to quieten that little child and allow the bigger woman to step forth--the one who believes in opportunity and success, in achieving the seemingly impossible.
I see the determination of Tarenna Dixon who has had to learn some very difficult lessons but who with a tenacity she has never shown in the classroom achieved a "B" in a difficult course over the summer. When she speaks to me now, she looks me in the eyes as if she knows she deserves the praise I will give her.
I see the willingness of Lindsey Kentner to take the next step--the one which could make her a failure or a star. Her obstacle has been the need to be
perfect--to make every shot she shoots. Now, with the understanding that she can miss without being less than who she is, she is free to be the incredible player she has always been.
I see Ali Tobias whose favorite past time was believing she wasn't fast enough to compete against athletic players now offering up the knowledge that intelligence can surpass athleticism. She is more comfortable in her abilities to be deceptive.
I see Moneka Slaughter taking on the constructive criticism I give her with the understanding she is capable of pushing through my demands. She is growing into the awareness she is strong, fast and a good low block player.
I see Julianne Smith gaining confidence in her shooting skills, the same skills she worked on endlessly last year but never used. It was never that she couldn't physically shoot the ball; it was that she thought she couldn't.
I see Tiana Beatty as a player who will not be denied. Even with pain, she has continued to find ways to train over the summer. She did not let what she could not do effect what she could do.
There is a difference between fears they owned and fears they have dissolved. There is a quiet confidence, an inner calmness which they now carry. This is their torch . . .their team . . . and their destiny.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
A Coaching Change
With the start of a new school year comes the beginning of a new season. This one is especially different for me as it will be the first time in 18 years I will be operating without my assistant coach, Lynne Fitzgerald. After 20 years of coaching, she made the determination that she was prepared to search a different direction for what life had to offer. Instead of spending days on end in the gymnasium, she has opted for blue skies, glacier lakes, and the wide expanse of the outdoors. Her focus in on the wilderness and outdoor leadership opportunites.
She has been a phoenomenal recruiter, getting us some of the top players in the WVIAC. Her strength as a recruiter was her ability to talk to anybody and make them feel special. She was also a tremendous teacher on the court. She knew how to break down a skill and develop it piece by piece to enable all players to be successful. One of the most important aspects of her job was to keep me level-headed, positive and coaching the game rather than reacting to the officials. She did this with humor and great insight.
She will be missed as part of the Golden Eagle coaching staff.
I welcome with enthusiasm the new member of my coaching staff, Rachel Pike. Rachel was a Golden Eagle from 2003-2007 and part of a team that acquired 106 wins versus only 24 losses. During her tenure, the team won back-to-back East Regional Championships and advanced to the Elite Eight in both 2005 and 2006.
During the past two years, Rachel was graduate assistant at Tiffin University where she received her Masters in Business Administration with a focus on leadership. While she is young, I have complete confidence in her ability to lead, to teach, to organize and to recruit.
When Rachel was a player, I often told her that she had the wisdom of an eighty year old mind in a twenty year old body. She was mature then in her decision-making and how she responded to conflicts which is exactly why she is a member of the coaching staff.
I often tell my players that you can't stay in the past. You have to perform in the moment. My challenge is to allow the wonderful 18 years spent working beside Coach Fitzgerald to remain part of the past and to be thankful for all she gave to me and the program and to allow Coach Pike to be part of the present.
She has been a phoenomenal recruiter, getting us some of the top players in the WVIAC. Her strength as a recruiter was her ability to talk to anybody and make them feel special. She was also a tremendous teacher on the court. She knew how to break down a skill and develop it piece by piece to enable all players to be successful. One of the most important aspects of her job was to keep me level-headed, positive and coaching the game rather than reacting to the officials. She did this with humor and great insight.
She will be missed as part of the Golden Eagle coaching staff.
I welcome with enthusiasm the new member of my coaching staff, Rachel Pike. Rachel was a Golden Eagle from 2003-2007 and part of a team that acquired 106 wins versus only 24 losses. During her tenure, the team won back-to-back East Regional Championships and advanced to the Elite Eight in both 2005 and 2006.
During the past two years, Rachel was graduate assistant at Tiffin University where she received her Masters in Business Administration with a focus on leadership. While she is young, I have complete confidence in her ability to lead, to teach, to organize and to recruit.
When Rachel was a player, I often told her that she had the wisdom of an eighty year old mind in a twenty year old body. She was mature then in her decision-making and how she responded to conflicts which is exactly why she is a member of the coaching staff.
I often tell my players that you can't stay in the past. You have to perform in the moment. My challenge is to allow the wonderful 18 years spent working beside Coach Fitzgerald to remain part of the past and to be thankful for all she gave to me and the program and to allow Coach Pike to be part of the present.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Remember the Wonderful Journey
At the end of the season, we are tempted to remember the last game, angry and upset by our lack of play. We could end the season that way, remembering the nightmare of being on the court but not actually being there, feeling embarrassed by our inability to perform. We could stay there in that place or we could celebrate the journey.
It is, after all, the journey which tells the story--which creates the people who are involved in it. Even though the Cal, Pa game was horrible, it does not define who we are and how far we have come. It was only a bleep in the long days of becoming better players and people.
I am amazed at the journey of the team and the young women who were a part of it. I am thrilled by their growth and their willingness to battle despite setbacks and challenges. Who would have thought at our mid-October scrimmage against Shawnee State when we were down 30 points at half time that we would win 26 games? Who would have dreamed when two returning starters went down with knee injuries from that scrimmage game that we could find a way to overcome it?
It is a testament to our seniors and their leadership.
I am grateful for Jen DeMeyer's ability to continue through her injuries and her emotional ups and downs from being hurt. She was strong enough to come back time and time again until the last knee injury then she was gracious enough to accept the role of cheering on her teammates.
I am grateful for Veronica Carman's growth as a player throughout her years here. Who would have thought her freshmen year that she would become a vocal leader? Who would have believed she would have spend hours and hours becoming a better offensive player? Who would have dreamed of her being not only our defensive stopper but our scorer as well? She did.
I am grateful for Jihan Williams and her willingness to overcome the concept of victimization to understand her control of circumstances. She determined she wanted a better relationship with the coaches and she created that. She became a stellar player after a junior year filled with frustration. She became a great player but a much better person.
These young women led from their hearts and souls. They provided the leadership the team needed and kept the team headed toward the right direction. They were not perfect . . . but then none of us are. They made some mistakes but they kept grounded and focused toward what was important. They made my job easier.
I hope the Golden Eagles can remember this season as the culmination of all experiences--of what they have learned and gained from the season. I hope they can use this success to propel them forward in the future. I hope they realize the life skills they can for the demands of tomorrow: discipline, motivation, self-awareness, responsibility, goal-setting, overcoming adversity, functioning as a unit, and hard work.
Basketball is much more than a game. It is a journey.
IHHOAGE!
It is, after all, the journey which tells the story--which creates the people who are involved in it. Even though the Cal, Pa game was horrible, it does not define who we are and how far we have come. It was only a bleep in the long days of becoming better players and people.
I am amazed at the journey of the team and the young women who were a part of it. I am thrilled by their growth and their willingness to battle despite setbacks and challenges. Who would have thought at our mid-October scrimmage against Shawnee State when we were down 30 points at half time that we would win 26 games? Who would have dreamed when two returning starters went down with knee injuries from that scrimmage game that we could find a way to overcome it?
It is a testament to our seniors and their leadership.
I am grateful for Jen DeMeyer's ability to continue through her injuries and her emotional ups and downs from being hurt. She was strong enough to come back time and time again until the last knee injury then she was gracious enough to accept the role of cheering on her teammates.
I am grateful for Veronica Carman's growth as a player throughout her years here. Who would have thought her freshmen year that she would become a vocal leader? Who would have believed she would have spend hours and hours becoming a better offensive player? Who would have dreamed of her being not only our defensive stopper but our scorer as well? She did.
I am grateful for Jihan Williams and her willingness to overcome the concept of victimization to understand her control of circumstances. She determined she wanted a better relationship with the coaches and she created that. She became a stellar player after a junior year filled with frustration. She became a great player but a much better person.
These young women led from their hearts and souls. They provided the leadership the team needed and kept the team headed toward the right direction. They were not perfect . . . but then none of us are. They made some mistakes but they kept grounded and focused toward what was important. They made my job easier.
I hope the Golden Eagles can remember this season as the culmination of all experiences--of what they have learned and gained from the season. I hope they can use this success to propel them forward in the future. I hope they realize the life skills they can for the demands of tomorrow: discipline, motivation, self-awareness, responsibility, goal-setting, overcoming adversity, functioning as a unit, and hard work.
Basketball is much more than a game. It is a journey.
IHHOAGE!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
DOUBLE WHAMMIE!
As if winning the conference title was not enough, the Golden Eagles decided to go for the double whammie--winning both the conference title and the tournament championship. This was a dream they had from the first day they stepped on the court in August. It is a testament to these young ladies that dreams do come true. This was the best part for me--watching them create their dreams.
The conference tournament started on Monday with a game against Salem University who had not won a game all season. This was tough for the five players from Salem who had the character to make it through the season. Imagine showing up after being beaten up all year for the final game against the number one seed. For our part, we had to focus on being our best for the play-offs. While we didn't want to run up the score against Salem, neither did we want to become soft and forget who we were. Even though we didn't press one possession and played all 12 of our players in double-digit minutes, limiting our starters to an average of 16 minutes, we still beat them by a score of 127-25. While I understand the challenge the players for Salem had, we also had the challenge of playing hard and keeping the game in perspective. For our part, we never once laughed or displayed any type of jest at the Salem players.
On Wednesday, we were paired against our rival, WV State. I knew this was going to be a difficult task because we had defeated them on Saturday by a score of 87-54 where we made 14 of 21 three point attempts for a shocking 66.7% from the three point line. Getting our players to think that the WV State game was going to be a challenge was my biggest concern. It is difficult to get players to be prepared for an opponent after defeating them so easily, yet I knew from 20 years of coaching experience that this was going to be a tough one.
The Yellow Jackets were ready to play us and they gave us all we could handle. We bumbled and fumbled the ball, passed it directly into their hands and watched as they sailed down the court for fast break lay-ups. We were not mentally there. As we called timeouts and tried to get the players to reel their minds back to the game, I felt almost hopeless because their minds were not in the Civic Center. I do not know how we won that game. In reality we should not have won that game, yet we found a way. With Ali Tobias on the free throw line and Jihan and Katy singing to her, she sank her 1-in-1 to help us to a 53-52 victory.
On Friday, we faced the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. I was worried that we would not be able to regain our confidence after the WV State game. We were lost and worried. I've seen teams tank after a game like that. Yet, this team never dies. They just find a new way to recover. We spent some time with them revisiting why we were a good team. We did a little team bonding exercise where the players reminded each other of our strengths. I could feel the shift in energy after we had completed the exercise. It was just enough to change our focus and get us back on track.
We were able to outlast UPJ by a score of 73-56 in the final few minutes of the contest despite injuries to Jihan and Katy. They were so tough playing through injuries, never giving in to excuses. This is what being a Golden Eagle is all about--mental toughness!
In the championship game against West Liberty, it was gut check time. The players from West Liberty played with such heart and determination. They came out and nailed seven three pointers on us before we even had time to register them. We were down 11 points and things were not looking pretty, but we didn't give up. We just keep playing hard. I collected a technical foul for clapping my hands once. No, I didn't say anything--just clapped my hands. Yet, thank goodness for the technical foul. It pumped us up. It got us out of our slump and pushed us toward focusing our energies on playing smarter and harder.
We only had the lead two times in the game. Early in the game with the score 4-2 and then at the 7:22 mark when we went up by 1 point. Then we were not ahead again until there was only 32 seconds remaining. We nailed six free throws in a row and stopped them scoring to end the game. WOW! This was a testament to believing in a dream so much that circumstances and events did not deter the dream.
I am convinced this team has won 25 games from the center of their heart. They have won because they believed in dreams and wouldn't let those dreams die. I have been impressed with their desire and their heart.
TO THE GOLDEN EAGLES I SAY: IHHOAGE!
The conference tournament started on Monday with a game against Salem University who had not won a game all season. This was tough for the five players from Salem who had the character to make it through the season. Imagine showing up after being beaten up all year for the final game against the number one seed. For our part, we had to focus on being our best for the play-offs. While we didn't want to run up the score against Salem, neither did we want to become soft and forget who we were. Even though we didn't press one possession and played all 12 of our players in double-digit minutes, limiting our starters to an average of 16 minutes, we still beat them by a score of 127-25. While I understand the challenge the players for Salem had, we also had the challenge of playing hard and keeping the game in perspective. For our part, we never once laughed or displayed any type of jest at the Salem players.
On Wednesday, we were paired against our rival, WV State. I knew this was going to be a difficult task because we had defeated them on Saturday by a score of 87-54 where we made 14 of 21 three point attempts for a shocking 66.7% from the three point line. Getting our players to think that the WV State game was going to be a challenge was my biggest concern. It is difficult to get players to be prepared for an opponent after defeating them so easily, yet I knew from 20 years of coaching experience that this was going to be a tough one.
The Yellow Jackets were ready to play us and they gave us all we could handle. We bumbled and fumbled the ball, passed it directly into their hands and watched as they sailed down the court for fast break lay-ups. We were not mentally there. As we called timeouts and tried to get the players to reel their minds back to the game, I felt almost hopeless because their minds were not in the Civic Center. I do not know how we won that game. In reality we should not have won that game, yet we found a way. With Ali Tobias on the free throw line and Jihan and Katy singing to her, she sank her 1-in-1 to help us to a 53-52 victory.
On Friday, we faced the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. I was worried that we would not be able to regain our confidence after the WV State game. We were lost and worried. I've seen teams tank after a game like that. Yet, this team never dies. They just find a new way to recover. We spent some time with them revisiting why we were a good team. We did a little team bonding exercise where the players reminded each other of our strengths. I could feel the shift in energy after we had completed the exercise. It was just enough to change our focus and get us back on track.
We were able to outlast UPJ by a score of 73-56 in the final few minutes of the contest despite injuries to Jihan and Katy. They were so tough playing through injuries, never giving in to excuses. This is what being a Golden Eagle is all about--mental toughness!
In the championship game against West Liberty, it was gut check time. The players from West Liberty played with such heart and determination. They came out and nailed seven three pointers on us before we even had time to register them. We were down 11 points and things were not looking pretty, but we didn't give up. We just keep playing hard. I collected a technical foul for clapping my hands once. No, I didn't say anything--just clapped my hands. Yet, thank goodness for the technical foul. It pumped us up. It got us out of our slump and pushed us toward focusing our energies on playing smarter and harder.
We only had the lead two times in the game. Early in the game with the score 4-2 and then at the 7:22 mark when we went up by 1 point. Then we were not ahead again until there was only 32 seconds remaining. We nailed six free throws in a row and stopped them scoring to end the game. WOW! This was a testament to believing in a dream so much that circumstances and events did not deter the dream.
I am convinced this team has won 25 games from the center of their heart. They have won because they believed in dreams and wouldn't let those dreams die. I have been impressed with their desire and their heart.
TO THE GOLDEN EAGLES I SAY: IHHOAGE!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Dreaming on the Dream Board
During the summer months each player created a dream box where she was to place any articles, quotes, or pictures of her dreams for this season. It was a great way to keep our dreams close and to continually feel them throughout the summer. At the beginning of the year, we each shared something from our dream box with the team. Then the coaches just let the dream box idea slip. We didn't do anything with it until a week ago when Coach Fitzgerald decided that we needed a dream board in the locker room.
We decided that each player should bring something every day to tack to the dream board. In this way, we would be sharing our dreams with our teammates. It started with just a word or two, then quotes, then pictures, then a piece of the net we cut down three years ago when we won the East Regional Tournament. It began as something they had to do and grew into something they wanted to do.
The board has become a constant visual reminder of our dreams. It makes their dreams appear more real because there is substance to them. The more the dream is plastered on the board, the stronger the sense of the dream. It feels real. Every person who has ever felt her dream come true knows there was a moment when the dream no longer felt like a dream. It felt real even before it became real. This is how we won the conference title: believing in dreams.
The power of belief is so strong that it is the difference between those who succeed and those who fail. The dream board has kept us focused on what we want and placed our energy in the direction we want to go. It has created an energy of its own--an energy each player has taken to heart. Heart is the center of this team and dreams are the center of the heart.
I am thrilled with the accomplishments of this team and believe they still have dreams to fulfill. Until the season has been completed, the dream board will be alive.
We decided that each player should bring something every day to tack to the dream board. In this way, we would be sharing our dreams with our teammates. It started with just a word or two, then quotes, then pictures, then a piece of the net we cut down three years ago when we won the East Regional Tournament. It began as something they had to do and grew into something they wanted to do.
The board has become a constant visual reminder of our dreams. It makes their dreams appear more real because there is substance to them. The more the dream is plastered on the board, the stronger the sense of the dream. It feels real. Every person who has ever felt her dream come true knows there was a moment when the dream no longer felt like a dream. It felt real even before it became real. This is how we won the conference title: believing in dreams.
The power of belief is so strong that it is the difference between those who succeed and those who fail. The dream board has kept us focused on what we want and placed our energy in the direction we want to go. It has created an energy of its own--an energy each player has taken to heart. Heart is the center of this team and dreams are the center of the heart.
I am thrilled with the accomplishments of this team and believe they still have dreams to fulfill. Until the season has been completed, the dream board will be alive.
Monday, February 23, 2009
&%#$&*@()#&%^@&!!)(@#*$&!
The title of today's blog is the words I happened to say during and after the game on Thursday. I don't like to curse. I try not to practice cursing but dang-it, I hate losing. I am not a good loser which is one of the reasons I work so hard at winning. I once had a coaching friend of mine say that he thought losing got easier after so many years of coaching. I've not found that to be true. I love to win and love players who love to win.
This team loves to win and certainly competes hard. They did not try to lose on Thursday night. They gave everything they had that night. The problem was they didn't have much to give. Most of them were suffering from some form of the flu where coughing takes over the regular breathing mechanism and the result is the body replaces the exhalation of a breath with coughing fits.
I always tell the players that it doesn't matter if they are sick, tired, injured, angry, sad, or upset. When they get to practice or a game, they have to be there without any excuses. Of course, I understand there are days when the body refuses to give 100%. Yet, I am more concerned about how they are going to enter the battle. If they believe they should play through whatever ails them, they are more likely to do so.
I knew going into the game we were going to struggle because we had not had a successful practice all week. Monday, we didn't have enough healthy players to practice so we shot for 30 minutes. Tuesday, we attempted a practice but discovered that the players couldn't go hard. We ran a 32 second sprint and half of them spent the next two minutes coughing. This was not a good indicator of how we were going to run for the forty minutes which constitutes the length of a game.
I will give credit to Alderson-Broaddus for playing hard, executing their offense, and shooting the ball extremely well the second half. They did what they should have done--take advantage of our inability to play well. Despite having seven sick players out of our nine who play, I was still upset with them. Couldn't they find a way to dig deeper? Couldn't the two who were healthy carry us through the game?
I will admit to being a tad bit demanding. Maybe this was too big of a hurdle for them, but I won't give them that opening. If they search for excuses, they will always find them. I don't want them searching for excuses, I want them searching for answers no matter how difficult the obstacle seems. If they believe they should have overcome their illnesses to win, then the next time players are sick, they will step up and believe they should win anyway. It is always about mental toughness and believing in winning. Always.
This team loves to win and certainly competes hard. They did not try to lose on Thursday night. They gave everything they had that night. The problem was they didn't have much to give. Most of them were suffering from some form of the flu where coughing takes over the regular breathing mechanism and the result is the body replaces the exhalation of a breath with coughing fits.
I always tell the players that it doesn't matter if they are sick, tired, injured, angry, sad, or upset. When they get to practice or a game, they have to be there without any excuses. Of course, I understand there are days when the body refuses to give 100%. Yet, I am more concerned about how they are going to enter the battle. If they believe they should play through whatever ails them, they are more likely to do so.
I knew going into the game we were going to struggle because we had not had a successful practice all week. Monday, we didn't have enough healthy players to practice so we shot for 30 minutes. Tuesday, we attempted a practice but discovered that the players couldn't go hard. We ran a 32 second sprint and half of them spent the next two minutes coughing. This was not a good indicator of how we were going to run for the forty minutes which constitutes the length of a game.
I will give credit to Alderson-Broaddus for playing hard, executing their offense, and shooting the ball extremely well the second half. They did what they should have done--take advantage of our inability to play well. Despite having seven sick players out of our nine who play, I was still upset with them. Couldn't they find a way to dig deeper? Couldn't the two who were healthy carry us through the game?
I will admit to being a tad bit demanding. Maybe this was too big of a hurdle for them, but I won't give them that opening. If they search for excuses, they will always find them. I don't want them searching for excuses, I want them searching for answers no matter how difficult the obstacle seems. If they believe they should have overcome their illnesses to win, then the next time players are sick, they will step up and believe they should win anyway. It is always about mental toughness and believing in winning. Always.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Growing on Dreams
I have watched this team evolve from a team who could not defend an out of bounds play (Remember Concord scoring 10 points on the same play), who could not score on a 2-on-1 fast break play (ouch!), and who could not coordinate a team offense (the infamous one-pass-chunk-it offense) to a team who is third in the league in scoring offense (71.4 ppg), third in scoring defense (59 ppg) and first in FG% defense (.374).
Early in the season, I remember thinking that we were not very good. As I watched us fumble with our offense, consistently forget to rotate on helpside defense, and overall play with a lack of confidence, I didn't know how we were going to win a game.
Naturally, I didn't share these thoughts with the team. I told them that they were good, that they should be winning games, and that they had the talent to be the best. We talked about dreams and goals--about winning the conference and the conference tournament and getting back to the national tournament. We talked about these things as if they were true. Then we practiced on the court as if they were true.
Then little by little the team started to evolve. It was small things at first: scoring a fast break lay-up, getting a stop on defense, winning a close game, holding a great player below her scoring average. With each small victory, a larger victory came about--the inner confidence of believing we should win.
How could this team graduate from average to great in 3 1/2 months? How could players shed their lack of self confidence for a stronger belief system? How could a group of individuals come together so quickly in tight unity? How could they develop a sense for the game only experienced veterans have?
The secret is in the belief system. There is a quote which states, "Success breeds success." With each win, the players became more secure in their talents. They started thinking they were good. As their belief systems became stronger, their play on the court became better. They always had the ability to be good, but they needed to believe it.
Last week in our game on Thursday, I witnessed one of the best team efforts offensively and defensively I have ever seen a Golden Eagle team play. We scored 56 points on offense in a vast array of ways: in the paint, on fast break points, against the zone, with three point attempts, and on penetration. Then we shut down our opponent defensively allowing only 22 points on 30% shooting. On Saturday night, we had another incredible half of basketball, scoring 50 points while allowing only 14 points.
Is this the same team I witnessed in November? NO. It is not. It is an amazing team who can now touch their dreams, feel them on their fingertips, and taste the sweetness of victory on the tips of their tongues. This is a team who can dare to dream and dare to make those dreams come true.
Early in the season, I remember thinking that we were not very good. As I watched us fumble with our offense, consistently forget to rotate on helpside defense, and overall play with a lack of confidence, I didn't know how we were going to win a game.
Naturally, I didn't share these thoughts with the team. I told them that they were good, that they should be winning games, and that they had the talent to be the best. We talked about dreams and goals--about winning the conference and the conference tournament and getting back to the national tournament. We talked about these things as if they were true. Then we practiced on the court as if they were true.
Then little by little the team started to evolve. It was small things at first: scoring a fast break lay-up, getting a stop on defense, winning a close game, holding a great player below her scoring average. With each small victory, a larger victory came about--the inner confidence of believing we should win.
How could this team graduate from average to great in 3 1/2 months? How could players shed their lack of self confidence for a stronger belief system? How could a group of individuals come together so quickly in tight unity? How could they develop a sense for the game only experienced veterans have?
The secret is in the belief system. There is a quote which states, "Success breeds success." With each win, the players became more secure in their talents. They started thinking they were good. As their belief systems became stronger, their play on the court became better. They always had the ability to be good, but they needed to believe it.
Last week in our game on Thursday, I witnessed one of the best team efforts offensively and defensively I have ever seen a Golden Eagle team play. We scored 56 points on offense in a vast array of ways: in the paint, on fast break points, against the zone, with three point attempts, and on penetration. Then we shut down our opponent defensively allowing only 22 points on 30% shooting. On Saturday night, we had another incredible half of basketball, scoring 50 points while allowing only 14 points.
Is this the same team I witnessed in November? NO. It is not. It is an amazing team who can now touch their dreams, feel them on their fingertips, and taste the sweetness of victory on the tips of their tongues. This is a team who can dare to dream and dare to make those dreams come true.
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