I've been on a mission at work to make sure that come Friday afternoon, I can focus purely on basketball. The last thing I want is to be chillin' out poolside after a win and have THAT phone ring. It's THE National Tournament. It's what we've been working for all season long. And I have to worry about what's happening 14+ hours away and listen to someone yell about how they aren't happy about something? Nope. Not happening.
I am so very excited about the opportunity to go to Nationals. I've been to some pretty big sporting events like college conference tournaments, the NCAA Sweet 16, high school playoffs, so I know how crazy it can get. But I was just a spectator then. Now I'm on the coaching staff. I'm there to watch and provide insight that may mean the difference between a win and a loss, national recognition or going home as a participant. Honestly, I must admit I'm surprised I was invited to go. Like I said, its a big deal and carries substantial meaning. I only have 2 full years of coaching under my belt, and while that's a lot of games and practices, it's minuscule in comparison to some of the other coaches. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the opportunity, just things are happening so much faster than I thought when I first signed up (more detail on that in a later post if I remember).
We are one of nine teams representing the state of New Jersey, and for some that's just a blah stat. No one cares, yadda yadda. Those people don't know me. For me that means that we need to show up and represent well. It means I need to be on my game and help in whatever way Coach D. and Coach K. need me to. It means sitting down to review plays and old stats to see what last minute tweaks we could possibly make. I've probably said it about ten times - this season has been a great learning experience - and this tournament is like a college final. It's like Coach D. decided to test me, I have been watching and learning all season, lets see it get applied on a pretty big stage. As I said a few posts ago, its about pride. Pride for the parents who didn't know you were even a coach but are nice enough to make sure you don't go thirsty at games or on road trips. Pride for the coaches who were kind enough to share their knowledge and let me be a part of their teams when I had none. Pride for Coach D. who two years ago, without even meeting me or knowing anything about me gave me an opportunity to join his coaching staff. I have a lot to learn, but you can count on this. I intend to represent my fellow coaches, the Wayne PAL, Coach D. and myself well this trip and hopefully I'll be able to tell you guys about a few wins from sunny Orlando.
Lastly, it's one more week before I get to sit on a plane and finalize my coaching philosophy and begin preparing my season opening documents. I think the best thing I ever did was put together a parent's packet at the beginning of the last two seasons. Parents knew who I was, how to contact me, where games would be before the first practice. And they generally stayed out of my way. With a written philosophy, I hope that it will not only give me something to adhere to, but also answer a few of the "What does my kid need to work on ?" conversations. You'll know from day one what I'm looking for out of the team and the direction its going. If you don't like it, at that point its still early enough to fill the vacancy. Maybe I'll post that sometime soon too.
Well, time for bed - got another long day to knock down tomorrow. Might need to go to bed.
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