Thursday, June 22, 2023

Most Seasons End with Defeat. Get Back Up on Your Feet.

Melrose Coach Scott Celli has never backed away from scheduling tough non-conference opponents. Back in the day it was Andover, Central, and Arlington Catholic. Notice that the top teams play quality opponents during the season. "Iron sharpens iron." A great regular season record becomes bittersweet when followed by playoff losses. 

The court is a coach's laboratory. Excellent coaches identify 'needs' and find solutions among personnel, strategy, and operations. "Seek understanding not validation." 

From Bill Walsh's The Score Takes Care of Itself

FIVE DOS FOR GETTING BACK INTO THE GAME:

1. Do expect defeat. It’s a given when the stakes are high and the competition is working ferociously to beat you. If you’re surprised when it happens, you’re dreaming; dreamers don’t last long.

2. Do force yourself to stop looking backward and dwelling on the professional “train wreck” you have just been in. It’s mental quicksand.

3. Do allow yourself appropriate recovery—grieving—time. You’ve been knocked senseless; give yourself a little time to recuperate. A keyword here is “little.” Don’t let it drag on.

4. Do tell yourself, “I am going to stand and fight again,” with the knowledge that often when things are at their worst you’re closer than you can imagine to success. Our Super Bowl victory arrived less than sixteen months after my “train wreck” in Miami.

5. Do begin planning for your next serious encounter. The smallest steps—plans—move you forward on the road to recovery. Focus on the fix.

Keep these four questions from The Leadership Moment in mind:

  • What went well?
  • What went poorly?
  • What can we do differently next time to get a better result? 
  • What are the enduring lessons? 
Live in the past and die in the present. 

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