The highest level of excellence, requires the highest level of sacrifice.
As coaches we all want the same results. To get to the top requires something that many want, but a vast majority are unwilling to give. As you prepare for pre-season, I'd encourage you to think as much about what you, your staff, and your program are willing to give up, as you are about what you are going to keep doing. Working harder, being more disciplined, communicating better...are all things that are incredibly important within the construct of a successful team. Getting to the point where those desires become daily habits is another story. It's take more than having the best of intentions. It means having a plan that is intentionally implemented. To get to the destination we want, means we'll have to give up some baggage we don't need. And if that means you need to put measures in place to hold yourself accountable, that isn't a sign of weakness...it's another marker that you are a high-level leader...creating a rock-solid culture of greatness...sold out to your vision every single day. Every program is different. Every staff is different. Every group of student-athletes is different. The ones that succeed on the field, in the classroom, and in their community this year will be the ones who can identify the things they are willing to go without, so that they can double their focus on the things they need. Keep kicking in the direction of your calling, sold out to your vision on the way! What does it really mean to be a "team"?
To build something greater than us, requires a non-negotiable move to make an investment. An investment requires a deposit, and a deposit requires a sacrifice. We have to do without a part of us, so that it can bring a greater return outside of us. Is there a risk in investment? Absolutely. So how do we reconcile the risk? How do we calculate if it's worth it to be that vulnerable? When we invest in a person, or a team, how do we trust it's the right decision? Fair questions. Here's the thing... We weren't called to pre-determine the outcome, just invest in the relationship(s). Outcomes known ahead of time remove the strength that the journey provides on the way. Jesus offers us a relationship with him, knowing full well we will let him down at some point. Think about that for a minute. He knows it will happen, and he still does it freely. If he can do that for us, who are we not to do that for one another? We are hard-wired to do life as a part of something much larger than ourselves. When we do? Victory is sweeter. Defeat is more bearable. Questions have answers. Grief has company. Adversity has support. The list goes from being a personal point of pain, to becoming a collective opportunity. The upcoming season is just around the corner. What is your intentional plan to invest in the relationships on your team? Every relationship that is authentic, starts with a deposit. That is a sacrifice worth making. |
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August 2015
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