Introduce Yourself to the Broom

"Our first jobs introduce us to the broom." - Andrew Carnegie

"Everything is a chance to do and to be your best." - Ryan Holiday 

Introduce yourself to the broom. As a youth basketball coach going to many different gyms, I embraced the first task, to look for a broom. The floors often needed sweeping; they never swept themselves. 

In many sports, the broom symbolizes the result (a sweep) and not the hard work that spawned the result. In 1851, future President James Garfield worked as the college janitor in exchange for tuition. My last two years at Harvard, I worked 12 hours a week (~9:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M.) slinging burgers and selling beverages to hungry college students taking study breaks.  

The broom reveals itself in many ways during high school athletics:

• Taking care of business at home
• Commitment to academics 
• Strength and conditioning
• Volleyball study and tape review
• Focused practice ("deliberate practice")
• Full mental and physical engagement during games

Hard work is seldom exciting. Many will never see your work. And when you and teammates have have given your best, it may not win titles. But it earns respect.