Spirit of Improvement

Even while our athletes practice their craft this summer, I hope they work for self-improvement by reading.

John C. Maxwell wrote a little book entitled, "The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player."  You can imagine many of the chapters, but today I'll mention his chapter on improvement.

The best way to strengthen the team is through strengthening the qualities of the individuals, from industriousness and enthusiasm, to conditioning and skill, poise and loyalty.

But Maxwell writes about Nokia, a leading communications company, and their four themes - customer satisfaction, respect, achievement, and learning.

For an athletic program, one might extrapolate to community pride, relationships, achievement, and learning.

Our student-athletes are leaders and examples for younger students, too. Achieving in the classroom and on the court is an expectation. Certainly, the community respects and values improvement and learning, but classroom achievement lasts a lifetime. Fulfilling behavioral standards matters, too.

When you see a volleyball player, wish her well and ask if she's read any good books lately. Someday, she'll thank you for caring.