Stop Being a ‘BUT’
I heard an interview with MVP Steph Curry the other night after Game 6 of the NBA Finals, in which he made a comment that got me thinking about my pre-maritial counseling.
Wait, what?!?
You mean it’s not natural to associate Steph Curry getting ejected and throwing mouth-pieces with pre-maritial counseling?
The Encouraging Leader
Five years ago I was inspired by Mike Neighbors, an assistant coach at Xavier University, to begin a newsletter on leadership entitled THE ENCOURAGING LEADER. Neighbors was doing a newsletter for basketball coaches and I really enjoyed it.
I Like Geno
(originally posted on April 1, 2016)
I admit it. I like Geno Auriemma.
On Sunday, Geno will lead his UConn team as they play in the NCAA Women’s Final Four located in Indianapolis this year. The Huskies are going for their 4th straight National Championship.
Many people do not like Geno. Many people do not like UConn. Many people say that their dominance is bad for the game. I say excellence and the quest for perfection is not bad.
Back on the Field
The Winning Edge
(originally posted on March 1, 2016)
March is finally here. If you are a basketball fan like I am, you are excited because it is MARCH MADNESS. We’ll soon be filling out our brackets. There will be 68 top-notch teams in the NCAA basketball tournament. I heard an announcer on ESPN say that this year’s tournament might be the most even tournament in NCAA history. Half of the field has a shot at winning the whole thing.
Talent alone will not set these teams apart. There are so many teams that have fairly equal talent. Just like our team that has started their quest for an 8th high school state championship. We are talented but so are other teams.
What is going to take us from talented to good? What is going to give us an advantage over other talented teams? What differentiates us from the competition? Successful people do things differently. Here are a couple of ways that we can gain a winning edge:
Marion Student-Athletes Learning Leadership Skills
(originally published on January 25, 2015)
Some Marion High School student-athletes are learning how to be better leaders in order to help their teams on the field of competition and improve the world around them.
About 25 student-athletes from various teams at Marion met weekly this past semester before school to learn about different leadership concepts.
Opportunity Knocks
(originally published on January 9, 2015)
The Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes will battle Monday night in the first-ever College Football Playoffs Championship Game. Both teams have glaring examples of people who took advantage of opportunities presented to them and didn’t quit or become disruptive to their teams. I will come back to these Bucks and Ducks in a moment.
As a long-time coach and now an athletic director, it pains me every time that I see a student-athlete get disgruntled over playing time or their role on the team. In nearly every case, the player quits. Oh, they might not quit the team and they might not even make a visible show but slowly and surely they cash out mentally. Instead of seeing the opportunity in every challenge, as Winston Churchill used to say, they see the difficulty in every opportunity. Unfortunately instead of persevering, they make excuses and take on a victim-mentality.
Win the Day
(originally published on January 1, 2015)
It’s the first day of the new year. This is a day of new beginnings. It is a day that gets people thinking about change. I went to the gym this afternoon for my normal exercise session. There were a number of new people there that I haven’t seen before. I think this will become the new normal…at least for a month or so. New Year’s resolutions abound. Promises are made. Commitments are revealed.
Bechler to lead the Marion Athletic Department
The new leader of Marion Giants athletics brings collegiate-level experience and a vision for maximizing student-athlete potential, supporting coaches, and generating community excitement.
Jamy Bechler will take over as director of athletics at Marion High School starting June 2. He was approved by the Marion Community Schools Board of School Trustees during its regular meeting on May 14.