"You own your paycheck." And your paycheck in high school sports is role, court time, and recognition. That's reality.
When you meet with Coach Scott Celli again, I guarantee you he reminds you that returning doesn't guarantee you anything.
Sports is a meritocracy and coaches put the players on the court or field whom they believe give them the best chance to succeed. It's not rec ball; winning matters.
How do you maintain your motivation? You own it. You say, "I want to improve." What's your plan to raise your game, your athleticism, your skill, your game knowledge and decision-making?
There is no "muscle memory." Your muscles respond to nerve input from your brain and peripheral nervous system. Practice lays down myelin, which coats nerve fibers and increases the speed and reproduction of given actions. Skills degrade without repetition.
Miami Heat basketball coach Erik Spoelstra informs us, "every team has a pecking order." A few players are the stars and the majority of us are role players. Excel in your role. Each season players ascend and seize opportunity. I won't name names because you all know which players became rotation players.
Injury, illness, eligibility, distraction, and positional need all factor into the equation. Melrose has reserve players each year who would start for at least three-quarters of the rest of Middlesex League teams. Sometimes it's just a numbers game.
The "Fourth Agreement" of Ruiz's The Four Agreements is "always do your best." Your best won't be the same every day. But your best effort, your best focus can be. And you never regret giving your best.
"All positions are open." You read it here first.
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