Opening Day

And they're off. MVB 26 kicks off with the first day of tryouts.

Each season arrives with a cartload of hopes and dreams, manufactured by player and family sacrifices. 

Control what you can control.

Take care of "what's inside your boat." "ACE" the test with attitude, choices, and effort. When problems arise, and they do, take care of business.

"Always do your best," the Fourth Agreement

In the long run, you cannot outperform giving your best. "To all my overachievers out there: The path to personal growth is paved with self-love, kindness, and forgiveness… not criticism, judgment, and punishment." Give yourself grace for complete effort. 

Play with joy. 

Be a lightbulb, illuminating yourselves and others. 

"Light bulbs, that's what I call them. Light bulbs. There's an intangible feeling a coach and a player have that you can delight in. When Armond Hill was at Princeton and he'd go up and down the court in warmups, that's excited me. Frank Sowinski walked onto the court in practice. I could be dead tired: I saw him, I felt good. Billy Omeltchenko. Craig Robinson. I call them light bulbs. They walk on the floor, the light goes on." - February 6, 1991. - Pete Carril

Lead.

Lead by modeling excellence in how you perform, how you treat others, and never become a distraction. You all know the Golden Rule. Also live the Silver Rule, "Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you."

Seize the opportunities to lead - lead a drill, be positive, encourage teammates who need a boost. 

Be a great teammate.

Everyone cannot be a great player, but everyone can be a great teammate. As a coach, I gave out one award, voted on by the players, the "Best Teammate Award." It wasn't designed to be the Best Athlete or the MVP, but the player whom the team felt best illustrated teamwork.

Compete.

As you enter the competitive cauldron, bring competitive spirit to the court. The memorable players, the champions, are fierce. Play with force.

As James Kerr wrote in Legacy, "Leave the jersey in a better place."

What do these have in common? They aren't dependent on size, athleticism, or an intelligence test. They're about character. "Sport doesn't build character, it reveals it."