4 Lessons From Champions

As I enter my third season on the basketball staff at Stetson University, I’m extremely grateful for everything I’ve learned and been a part of. I’ve had the opportunity to be around some great coaches, four of whom have won championships. Donnie Jones (2006 & 2007 Florida Gators), Brendan Suhr (1989 & 1990 Detroit Pistons, 1992 Olympic Dream Team), Shawn Finney (1998 Kentucky Wildcats), and Jonathan Mitchell (2007 Florida Gators). I was thinking about some lessons each of them has taught me that are crucial to becoming a champion. Here are four lessons from people who are champions.

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Donnie Jones is our head coach and one of the kindest people I’ve been around. He treats people the right way and is consistent in doing so. He won two back-to-back national championships at the University of Florida in 2006 & 2007 when he was on staff with Billy Donovan. Anyone who knows Donnie and has been around him echoes these same sentiments. He is a master at building genuine relationships and I believe it’s one of the most important keys to his success. This is the first lesson in becoming a champion.

1. TREAT PEOPLE WELL

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Brendan Suhr was on our our staff my first year. He is a legend in the coaching world and has 45+ years of coaching experience in the NBA and college. He won back-to-back World Championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 & 1990 and also won a gold medal in the Olympics with the 1992 Dream Team as an assistant to Chuck Daly. He has coached some of the world’s greatest players over the course of nearly 5 decades and finds a way to communicate and teach in a way that players learn and understand. He doesn’t teach a certain way because “it’s how it’s always been done.” Instead, he adapts and adjusts his teaching style to impact players the way they learn best. This is probably why he has been so great for so long and it’s the second lesson I’ve learned in becoming a champion.

2. ADAPT & ADJUST WITH THE TIMES

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Shawn Finney is joining our staff for his first season, but I’ve been able to be around him for the past 8 months and have seen him in action. He won a national championship in 1998 at the University of Kentucky while on staff with Tubby Smith. One of many things that makes Coach Finney good at what he does is his attention to detail. Whether it’s on the court or administrative work, he is always fine tuning and making sure everything is as close to perfect as it can be. He pays attention to the little things and holds people accountable to them. This is the third lesson I’ve learned in becoming a champion.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO SMALL DETAILS

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Jonathan Mitchell played at Florida and won a national championship in 2007. He is a young coach with a young family, but works extremely hard. He is someone who will put the work in even when it’s inconvenient and tiresome. He has done a fantastic job in recruiting and has grown as a coach because of this. It is the fourth lesson of becoming a champion.

4. YOU CAN’T ONLY WORK ON THE DAYS YOU FEEL GOOD

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While there are many more aspects that go into being a champion, I believe these 4 lessons are some of the most important ones you can control. I also get the privilege of working with two other great coaches who have experienced a lot of success and have taught me a lot. Adam Williams, who played at Kentucky and Marshall, and Luis Guzman, who played at Temple and overseas. I’m excited to begin year 3 with these men and continue learning more about what makes them the best of the best. It’s not every day you get to work with people who have won 6 championship rings.

1. Treat people well.

2. Adapt & adjust with the times.

3. Pay attention to small details.

4. You can’t only work on the days you feel good.

The "Art" of Journaling

I love to journal. It’s always been something I do to put my thoughts on paper and clear my mind. It’s especially valuable during this unprecedented point in our history with the coronavirus. We have more time on our hands than usual to grow, and journaling is one way I do that.

For years, I would write a page or two about what I was learning and how it was impacting my life. It was a great exercise, but I wanted to be more focused on my thoughts and growth.

Three years ago, I noticed how a friend of mine was always drawing pictures to convey what he was learning. I found it intriguing as it was always focused on one or two specific thoughts which were very simple. Although, I’m not artistic by any means, I do love being creative, so I decided to give it a try. I have been using the tool of art ever since and it has impacted me more than I ever expected. I wanted to share with you a few thoughts and hopefully help you grow more through journaling! Don’t worry if you’ve never drawn before. Just give it a try and start small. I also found buying a journal with dots or graph paper is extremely helpful.

FIND THE FOCUS

As you’re reading or listening to content, find something that jumps out to you. It can be a verse, a lyric, a quote, or an image. Read enough to understand its context, and then stop. Write it down and begin to think about what it means. But don’t stop simply by putting words on paper.

FOCUS ON THE DETAILS

Once you’ve found the focus, you can focus on the details. This is where the creativity will help you immensely. Whatever your focus is, begin to draw that scene. As you think about each word of your focus, you will force yourself to recite it over and over in your mind. The more you can break it down and detail it in your drawing, the more you will grasp the lesson to be learned.

AN EXAMPLE POST

Below are a few from my experience, but here is an example of how I would approach my journal each day. Let’s use the example with the chess pieces. As I’m reading, “In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day” by Mark Batterson, I come across a quote saying,

“You have no idea what your next move should be, but God already has the next 200 moves planned out. Some of his moves won’t make sense. We just need to trust the Grand Master.”

— Mark Batterson

I would think on that quote and develop a word picture and begin to draw. In the book, he used an example of chess, so I find a picture of chess pieces and draw them. As I’m drawing, I’m constantly thinking about these quotes and what they mean to me in my current situation.

“God wants you to get where God wants you to go more than you want to get to where God wants you to go.”

— Mark Batterson

I think through ways I can take these lessons and apply them to my life. With every detail, I allow myself to focus deeper and deeper into the lesson. I always like to write the source down as well in case I ever want to go back and read it again.

One of my favorite times to write is when I’m outside listening to worship music and God speaks to me through a lyric. Music is so powerful and oftentimes I am able to use vivid word pictures to help make God’s word come alive. Give it a try yourself!

It’s nothing fancy or deep, but rather simple. Drawing your journal allows you to spend more time thinking about something, which allows your mind and heart to focus on the details. It will challenge your critical thinking and broaden your perspective on what the words are saying. Your brain will be sharpened and enjoy doing something unique and creative. I like to go back and look at past entries on certain dates or when a similar situation comes up in my life I know I’ve been through before. I would love to see your “art” journal, so please share any with me on social media!

Hang Up

Leaders are constantly in a state of communication.  Whether it’s in a meeting, on social media, text messages, live videos, or phone calls, we seem to always find ways to consistently stay in touch with our people and what is going on.  While thorough communication is good and necessary, sometimes what we perceive as good is hindering us in other ways.  One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received was to hang up. 

One of my favorite places to make phone calls is while I’m driving in my car.  It’s quiet and there is often enough time to have a valuable conversation with someone before I arrive at my destination.  But as a young leader I would find myself pulling into my driveway, deep in conversation with a recruit or a mentor with no end in sight.  Although my conversation on the phone was going well, I would fall into one of two traps.  I would walk inside, where my family was waiting to greet me, still on the phone, or I would stay talking in the car parked in the driveway for the next several minutes while my family waited inside for me to come in.  Both traps seem trivial, but they hindered my relationships with my family even though I was building relationships with others. 

“Anytime I’m having a phone conversation in the car I need to begin wrapping it up when I’m halfway home.”

— Andrew Wingreen

The advice I received to hang up looks like this:

Anytime I’m having a phone conversation in the car I need to begin wrapping it up when I’m halfway home (assuming it’s a local trip appx. 20 min or less).  We all know some phone calls can take a few minutes to talk through the final details and say goodbye, so knowing when you are halfway home is a good reminder to begin shutting it down.  Once I pull into my driveway, I always end the conversation and make sure to walk inside with my attention fully devoted to my family.  This transition is crucial and helps me go in with the best mindset possible.  It gives me time to decompress and get my emotions to a place where I will be the best I can be for my family, no matter how the phone call went.  I can schedule calls for later in the evening or the next day if there was some sort of topic we still needed to discuss.  I learned if I waited until I was home to start ending a conversation, it was too late.  This small piece of advice has allowed me to transition smoothly and be more present with whoever I am meeting at the destination. 

Next time you’re deep in conversation while you drive, make sure to begin ending the call halfway to your destination.  It will give you the clarity of mind to transition smoothly into your next phase of the day!

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If you have any questions or other advice regarding this, please send me an email at coachwingreen@gmail.com.

All Things

At 3:00am on May 9th my phone alarm went off.  I woke in excitement as my 30-hour journey back to Malawi, Africa began— a place that I fell in love with the previous summer.  I travelled with a non-profit organization called Circle of Hope International, who has partnered with the Grace Alliance Church to build an amazing place known as the Grace Center.  The Grace Center consists of a boys and girls orphanage, church, school, feeding program, and soon to be medical clinic and maternal center.  It has grown tremendously over the years and continues to grow despite the many obstacles that stand in the way.  

Almost all research companies rank Malawi as a top-5 poorest country in the world and some even have it ranked as number one. Most kids only have a couple articles of clothing and do not own shoes. Most kids eat the same thing for every meal: beans and nsima. Nsima is maize flour mixed with water and it literally tastes like nothing.  Many of the kids who live in the orphanage have lost one or both of their parents; others were abandoned and some were rescued from abusive situations.  But you will not hear them complain.  In fact, these kids are the most joyful kids I have ever been around.

“Many of the kids who live in the orphanage have lost one or both of their parents; others were abandoned and some were rescued from abusive situations.  But you will not hear them complain.  In fact, these kids are the most joyful kids I have ever been around.”

— Tad Glibert

FALLING IN LOVE

It doesn’t make sense to fall in love with a place that I only spent 3 short weeks in.  To fall in love with people who don’t speak the same language as me and who live a life that is so different than mine.  But I did.  And so have so many other people.  I would say it’s rare to find someone who experiences The Grace Center and doesn’t want to go back.  My wife, Karly, is on the board of directors for Circle of Hope and this year was her fifth trip to Malawi. She spends countless hours collecting and organizing medical supplies to send each year. To say Malawi is her passion would be an understatement. Our Chicago condo is completed covered with pictures of the kids of the orphanage. I really didn’t understand why she loved it so much until I went myself.

Because of unfortunate circumstances, my wife had landed in Malawi about a week before I did.  Pastor Phiri, the man who was in charge of the daily activities of the Grace Center, suddenly passed away.  Because he did so much for the compound, the future of the Grace Center was very uncertain.  My wife, along with a small team, had to get to Malawi as soon as possible.  They arrived during a memorial service and were greeted by members of the community, weeping about the loss of Pastor Phiri. The kids of the orphanage were heart-broken once again. They had already lost their real parents, now they had lost their father figure who provided them with a home, food, security, and schooling. Over the next several days, the children were reassured many times that they would still be cared for despite experiencing another devastating loss.

On May 10th, I arrived in Malawi. I was definitely excited to see the kids that I had formed great relationships with last summer. Our team had a productive first couple of days. We painted and prepped the clinic before the rest of the medical team arrived and I played a lot of soccer with the kids in my free time. Last summer, I did a fundraiser to get the school's soccer team new uniforms and cleats (thanks to all who donated)!  This may not a big deal to you and me, but most of these kids have never owned soccer cleats and usually have to play barefoot. On my second day, they held a special school assembly to present the uniforms to the kids. It was a great day to experience with them!

NEVER FORGET

May 12th is a day that I will never forget.  Just before midnight, Karly and I woke up in our tent to a horrible noise. We had no idea if it was person or an animal. I thought to myself, “this is Africa, you hear noises at night all the time.”  But there was something different about this noise. We then heard the metal front gate violently clang back and forth and soon after we heard glass break from the pastor’s house. It confirmed our suspicion that something was terribly wrong. Loud pounding from the house followed. People yelling. We could see lights and shadows outside our tent. We heard quick footsteps run down by our tent followed by the sound of someone being beaten. They finally stopped and went back inside the house. The man was Len, the husband of the director of Circle of Hope.  Eventually he limped by our tents saying “we are getting robbed, hide yourselves.” Karly and I sorted through our belongings in the dark, trying to find anything that we could use as weapons.  We decided that a small pair of scissors and Karly’s stethoscope was the best that we could do. In that moment, the thought of dying became real. My wife was next to me and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were in the tent next to us.  Karly and I turned to each other and said, “I love you.” I remember I closed my eyes and prayed over and over for God to protect us. I could still hear noises coming from inside the house. I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to do. Do I stay in my tent? Do I take off running in the pitch black and try to get help a mile a way? After the noises stopped, we continued to stay quiet in our tent.  It felt like forever but the whole robbery and waiting time ended up being about 45 minutes.  Following the silence and some whispered phone calls to other team members, we ran to the house. 

“Karly and I sorted through our belongings in the dark, trying to find anything that we could use as weapons.  We decided that a small pair of scissors and Karly’s stethoscope was the best that we could do.”

One by one we gathered in the living room.  For every person who entered, a brief wave of relief hit, but we were still missing some people and the tension was thick.  I’m sure it was only minutes before the three pastors supporting Len came to the door, but each second seemed to drag on.  As he entered through the door, the visible evidence of the beating he took knocked the wind out of us.  The medical people in the room tended to his wounds, while others barricaded the broken house door with the kitchen table. We were still missing one more person— Isaac, one of the Malawian men that was staying with us. Eventually there was another knock at the door. The room fell silent and I called out asking who it was. “Isaac” he replied.  The room filled with sobs of relief.  Isaac had run a mile down the hill in the dark to get help and returned with some villagers.  Over the next hours, more villagers gathered around the house and eventually the police came and took statements.  They left two armed police officers at the house for the rest of the night but no one went to sleep. 

We quite literally counted down the minutes until daylight.  That morning, our team met to decide what to do next.  There were 12 additional team members on their way to Malawi, including my dad.  They would land in a few hours. Do we go home? Do we stay? Where do we sleep at night? We were all a combination of dazed, traumatized, and in shock. We decided to stay at a hotel in Lilongwe, about an hour away. Although it was much more expensive, safety was our first priority.  As we left the Grace Center to go to Lilongwe, we met with our kids.  We told them that we were going to Lilongwe for the day but that we would return tomorrow.  The children gathered in a circle and prayed for us to send us off.  When we picked up our team, we broke the news to the team in the airport parking lot. We had to give them the option of turning around to go home. All but one person decided to stay. 

After putting all of our stories together, we discovered that 15-20 masked men had robbed us. They broke into every room of the house except the room that our director was staying in. That was the room that had our passports and money in it.  There were 6 tents surrounding the house, and 5 of them were occupied. The robbers sliced through the only empty tent with a machete—a tent that we had set up about 5 hours before the attack. If they had come to any of the other tents they would have found people, money, and valuables leading them to check all the other tents. Also, there is typically a light on the house that shines down toward where our tents are set up. However, a team member turned it off that night, and she doesn’t know why she did it. Although it was a traumatic experience, it could have been far worse. As we prayed to be hidden, we believe God blinded the men to our five occupied tents.  If the attack happened one night prior, we would have probably cancelled our team’s flights to Malawi and we would have all gone home. If the attack happened one night later, there would have been people in the tent that was slashed open. God’s timing was perfect. And He protected us that night. 

The robbery took more from us than just physical items. It robbed us of the full African-experience. Bucket-showers, going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, sleeping in tents, walking up a long hill everyday, eating food that most of us would not normally pick—all the stuff that we typically joke and complain about became the things we missed so much. That night also robbed us of time with the kids—time to love them after they had been through so much.  It stole over an hour of socializing and chapel with our kids in the morning and over an hour of playtime in the afternoon. Everyday before we left to go back to the hotel, an 8-year old boy named Josephe would ask if I had to go back to Lilongwe today. When I told him yes, he would walk away with watery eyes. And every day my heart broke all over again.

“The robbery took more from us than just physical items. It robbed us of the full African-experience.”

Circle of Hope had to cancel the trips of all the summer teams that were coming after us. Some people were robbed of experiencing this amazing place for the first time. Others were robbed of returning to a place they fell in love with. Sponsorship was also impacted—many people that come for the first time develop a special relationship with a child and leave sponsoring them. As team members tell friends and family about their trip, that leads to more sponsorship. The kids are used to having Americans with them the whole summer, something they really enjoy. This year, three teams worth of time and love was taken from them.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

My trip to Africa this year was crazy. But it was still an amazing trip. From a medical perspective, we accomplished everything we set out to do. We did medical checkups for nearly 700 kids. We had a dentist and an optometrist come this year—both a first for the organization. The support we received from the Malawian community was incredible. Hundreds of villagers and chiefs demonstrated their support through standing outside the house, searching the fields to find and return some of our stolen objects, meeting together to improve community-based security, and building a fence around our future doctor’s home. A Member of the Parliament quickly started working to establish a police station at the Grace Center. He also told us that he would be able to help us out with any other future projects, such as registering the medical clinic and maternity center once they are ready. The four men that are a part of the new leadership team at the Grace Center have done an amazing job since the loss of Pastor Phiri. They are men that love God and want to make a difference in the lives of the children and members of the community. I am confident the the Grace Center is in good hands.

Romans 8:28 is the verse that God spoke to me over and over again during this trip: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It doesn’t say all things are good.  It doesn’t say that God causes all things.  But it does say God can use all things for good.  ALL THINGS.  Not just some things but all things. This verse is a promise to us, followers of Jesus. It shows us how powerful and good He really is despite the attacks of Satan and men. Through all the trials on this trip— even more than I have discussed here— it is clear that God is working at the Grace Center.  He is making it a safer place for Malawians and Americans.  He is establishing favor with a government official who will help accelerate the work being done at the grace center.  He is stirring the community to invest in the center that invests in them.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

— Romans 8:28

The men that were physically injured are all healing. I ask for your prayers for all those who experienced that night. Please pray for the men who are leading during this time of difficulty and transition.  I also ask for prayers for the kids, who have had a very tough month.

Adjusting to life after Africa is challenging. It’s hard to explain to people. I never really understood it until I experienced it myself. I miss the kids. I miss the people. I miss the joy that they express on a daily basis. There is something beautiful about living a simple life and being rid of all the distractions that we have in America—distractions of things that don’t truly matter. I miss their mindset of doing two things: Loving God and loving others.

If anyone wants to know more about Circle of Hope or is interested in sponsoring a child, please reach out to me!

Visit the Circle of Hope International Facebook page by clicking here.

Tad Glibert is the Assistant Director of Operations for Northwestern Men's Basketball.  You can contact him directly at 2tadglibert@gmail.com.  

The Impact YOU Have

One reason that I love the game of basketball is because of the impact it has on people of all ages.  The game engages the craziest fanatics daily and engrosses an entire nation during March.  It captivates an audience and it will not let some of them go.  But one of the most significant influences the game has is the way it enamors a child's heart and inspires them to be like YOU.

3...2...1...

I'm willing to bet that every player and coach grew up with a basketball dream.  For some it was reenacting the final play of the game when your team is down 2 and the ball is in your hands.  You audibly count down the game clock...3...2...1...and hoist up the game winning shot.  If it went in you celebrated the win; if you missed you were obviously fouled.  

BE LIKE MIKE

For others it was watching Michael Jordan and trying to "Be Like Mike."  You would run out of the tunnel to the Bulls starting lineup song, "At 6'6, from North Carolina, number 23, Michaellll Jorrrrdannnnn!"  You would stick your tongue out on your way to the rim and attempt to impose your will on your friends with that fade away jumper.  And you're lying if you never tried to dunk the basketball while spreading your legs just like the Jordan logo.  

THE BATHTUB

Maybe you were that die-hard player that would shovel the snow off the driveway in 14 degree weather to get shots up.  Of course, the cold temperature and snow would make your ball flat, so you had a couple more basketballs in the rotation.  You would put the flat ball in the hot bathtub you had filled in order to warm up the balls to be ready to go again in 15 minutes.  True dedication.

PEOPLE WHO MADE AN IMPACT

These were all stories from my life growing up, but no matter what your dream was there was someone that made an impact on you.  Someone that you wanted to be like and imitate as a player or a coach.  For me it was my next door neighbor, Nick Hancock, and his teammate Tony Romo.  Yes, THAT Tony Romo.  I remember going to their games at Burlington High School (now Karcher Middle School) and watching them play.  I would go home and imitate everything they did.  Their shooting technique, their hustle, their willingness to dive on the floor for loose balls, etc.  My eyes were on them and they made an impact on me.

From a coaching perspective, my aunt and uncles were a huge impact on me.  They were all coaches and I would grow up going to their games.  At family gatherings I would listen to them talk about those games.  I'm not sure if they ever realized how I hung on to every word they said, but I did.  And those words have stuck with me to this day as a coach.  

There is a poem that I love to share with people called "Little Eyes Upon You."  It goes like this:

“There are little eyes upon you and they are watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager to do anything you do;

And a little boy who’s dreaming of the day he’ll be like you.

You’re the little fellow’s idol, you’re the wisest of the wise.

In his little mind about you no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly, holds all you say and do;

He will say and do, in your way when he’s grown up just like you.

There’s a wide-eyed little fellow who believes you’re always right;

And his eyes are always opened, and he watches day and night.

You’re setting an example every day in all you do;

For the little boy who’s waiting to grow up to be just like you.”

— Author Unknown

So next time you go out and do your job with the game of basketball, keep in mind that there are little eyes watching you and they are soaking up everything you say and do.  Your actions, your words, your energy, your responses - they are setting an example for the next generation of players and coaches.  I believe we have a responsibility to be a light to all of those around us.  Take your platform to heart and do your best to use the game we love to impact other people in a positive way!

See Jesus In Me

My desire as a coach is for people to see Jesus in me.  Through the way I work, the way I behave, and the way I care, I want Jesus to be at the center of it.  My heartbeat is to see those around me grow closer to Jesus because of the way I live.

However, I'm really bad at it most of the time.

My work becomes focused solely on wins & losses.  I work a certain way for certain hours, so that people will give me their approval.  I do what I do because I want the praise and glory for myself.

My behavior lacks character too often and I fall victim to Satan's attacks.  I allow my feelings to dictate my actions, which often leads to sin.  I behave the way I do because I'm prideful and want to do what only makes me happy.

My care for others is non-existent  because their needs are not more important than my own, obviously.  I focus on what I want and lookout for me, myself, and I.  I lack the care that I need to have because I'm selfish.

I COULD GO ON.

I've been struggling lately to be a light; to be the example that God created me to be.  He called me to coach and he enabled me to have the opportunity to impact young men and other coaches.  I'm passionate about fulfilling that call with the gifts that God has given me.  I want to embrace the responsibility that I have because I know the impact those with the same calling had on me.  So here's what I'm going to do:

PRAY

I believe that prayer is powerful and God desires to have that communication with us.  As a coach, I need to make this a daily occurrence with intentionality throughout the day.  However, I'm really bad at praying.  I don't do it enough and more often than not I fail to do it well.  Please pray for me to grow stronger in my prayer life!

READ

God's word is powerful.  It speaks truth and breathes life.  I need to dig deeper into the word of God and find out more about what he is all about.  I'm really good at reading it on a surface level, but I desire to dive deeper and grow closer to God.  

DO

I want to do more.  Not because I think it will earn me favor with God, but because I want to impact people.  I want to genuinely love them and show them who Jesus is by the way I live life.  I want my words to speak truth and I want my actions to display love.  I want the gospel to resonate with the people I come in contact with every day, so Jesus can do a work in their life.

I want people to see Jesus in me. 

Fueling Your Heart

Each day we are given opportunities to choose the influences we want in our lives.  The videos we watch, the music we listen to, the books we read, and the people we spend our time with.  Each decision we make fuels our hearts with a worldview that will ultimately impact the way we carry ourselves.  So, the question is, what is fueling your heart?

It’s easy to gravitate towards popular content the world is selling to us daily, but it’s important to understand what those stories are telling us.  Just because something is portrayed as “cool” or “relevant,” doesn’t mean we should be consuming it.  We need to be intentional about fueling our hearts with substance, promoting growth and excellence in all we do. 

Here’s a few examples of what I mean:

Spotify has over 140 million users that consume over 1.7 billion hours of music each month.  Currently, the song that is streamed the most and sits at #2 on the Billboard Top 100, is “Rockstar” by Post Malone (Feat. 21 Savage).  The first lyrics that millions of people are actively choosing to put into their hearts when they listen to this song are, 

“Ayy, I’ve been f****** hoes and poppin’ pillies. Man I feel just like a rockstar.”

— Post Malone

WHAT MUSIC IS FUELING YOUR HEART?

Last month, the top grossing movie at the box office was “It,” earning $290,775,232.  It has played in over 4,000 theaters countless times, entertaining millions of people across the globe.  I understand the thrill and excitement that comes along with horror movies, but at what cost?  The description that lures people to buy a ticket to this movie is, “A group of bullied kids band together when a shapeshifting demon, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.”  Really?

WHAT MOVIES OR VIDEOS ARE FUELING YOUR HEART TODAY?

In 2016, 68% of high school seniors said that they tried alcohol with their friends.  Their friends claimed they were going to harmless parties and having “fun” participating in drinking games.  Statistics also say that alcohol causes the most harm in people under the age of 21 and is responsible for over 4,300 deaths each year. 

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DO YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH?

The point of this article is not to tell you what not to do.  However, I think it’s important for us to ask ourselves the question, “what is fueling my heart?”  If we think about it, the shows we watch, the music we listen to, the content we read, and the people we spend our time with, influences our lives in a huge way.  If we want to be the best we can be, why wouldn’t we fuel our hearts with content that is positive and full of truth?  For me, it’s a battle every day.  I want to have fun and satisfy my need for entertainment, but I constantly need to examine what I’m fueling my heart with.  I encourage you to think about the influences you allow into your life every day and ask yourself if the fuel you’re putting into your heart is the fuel that will get you to your desired destination. 

Storytelling Through Social Media

A little over a year ago, I wrote a post for this blog entitled “Social Media: The Age of New Recruiting” (if you have a couple minutes, give it a quick read).

In that article, I talked about the importance of storytelling in recruiting both players and fans for your program. Whether it’s through photos, videos or written content, fans LOVE to know more about what’s going on with your team!

Any time I write an article, give a presentation, or talk one-on-one with people about storytelling through social, I always get positive responses. People are excited about the possibilities for their own programs because they themselves love consuming content from their favorite sports teams. However, when it comes to implementing those ideas, those same people are seemingly paralyzed with fear.

The perfect photo, the highest quality video, the best written blog post – the chance that what they produce might not be exactly “right” or as good as someone else keeps them from doing anything at all.

SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

Get out your phone and just go. Don’t overthink, just try. In reality, chances are if it’s the kind of thing that interests you (a sports fan), then it will probably be interesting to those who follow your program (other sports fans).

You may be thinking still, “I don’t even know where to begin.” Here are a few suggestions of things that have worked on our team pages:

•          Game photos
•          Team pictures at special events
•          Congratulatory milestone photos and graphics
•          Videos of players competing (on the court, in the weight room)
•          Video documentaries of trips
•          Pictures and/or videos of community service events
•          Instagram and/or Snapchat “mini” stories of 4-5 photos/videos
•          Group photos

See, the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to emotionally connect with your fan base. And the best way to do that is simply to story tell by regularly documenting your team’s journey. Don’t wait any longer. Start storytelling!

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Tony Miller is an assistant men's basketball coach and head of the sports management program at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.  His blog, "Coach.Teach.Lead", contains more coaching and leadership resources.

What's Worked For Me (So Far)

CREATING BASKETBALL OPPORTUNITIES

I’ve been very fortunate as a young basketball coach to have landed a number of amazing basketball opportunities. A few of these include Duke basketball camp, UCLA camp, Georgia State Basketball Camp, Snow Valley Iowa Basketball School, working for PGC/Glazier Clinics, USA Basketball Clinics, Social Media interning for Kevin Eastman (former NBA assistant coach), and a trip to the final four. I’ve also been very fortunate to have coaches like Don Showalter and Kevin Eastman to trust me to do a good job when they bring me on board.

A number of coaches have asked me the question, “How did you land that?” Or, “How did you get connected with them?” Many ask for the purpose of trying to land similar opportunities. This article is a response to those questions.

My primary aim in this article is to give coaches who want some basketball opportunities a few ideas on what may help them by describing what’s worked so far for me. I’ll also talk about the financial aspect of my journey and share a few ideas worth considering about money, because like many young coaches, I also do not have access to a money tree.

But first… The reason I put (So Far) in the title is to be clear that I am not proclaiming myself to be a deep well of pure professional wisdom. I have a career win total that equals the amount of children some coaches reading this have. Ok, I’m slightly kidding. Unless you have 12 children… then you officially have me beat. But I’m closing in fast. Ha!

Hopefully you caught the fun at the end of that paragraph. Seriously, this is my journey so far and hopefully some reading coaches will benefit and get some ideas on how they can create opportunities for their coaching career.

Clete Adelman, Mason Waters, Bill Van Gundy

DUKE BASKETBALL CAMP

I first got involved with Duke Basketball Camp as a camper about a decade ago. And I was a phenomenal camper (which I must say is a slight distinction from being a phenomenal player). I connected with many camp coaches and even impressed the camp director so much that he remembered me… nearly 10 years later.

I emailed the camp staff in late 2014 about working camp the next summer, in 2015. I got denied.

The next year I sent another email application. I was told I was being considered. Then the deal breaker game.

A friend and I went to the University of Georgia to watch the Bulldogs take on High Point in an early season contest. As my buddy and I questionably snuck our way closer to the court, I noticed a familiar ESPN announcer. It was Duke’s Camp Director who also happens to work for ESPN.

After the game, I approached the announcer’s booth to say hello, and that I had applied this summer for camp. Security was telling me and my friend to exit the building. I persisted and said, “I know the announcer, I’m just saying hello.” They let me hang around a few more seconds.

After the ESPN team wrapped up their coverage, I quickly said hello to the camp director and mentioned I had applied again to coach at camp.

“Wow! I remember you as a camper” he replied. “I’m glad you came up and said hello because now I know that you’re not just some Joe blow off the street. We’ll get you on.”

I don’t know how many people that you want to work for also commentate for ESPN, but if he does, find what game he’s calling next, go to that school, and stay after. Ok, I’m kidding about that, but this is how I got connected at Duke camp.  

UCLA BASKETBALL CAMP

Now that I’m writing this out, I’m finally realizing how one door opens another, and that door opens another, and that door opens another, and on and on. UCLA was one of my most recent basketball opportunities and it makes sense to me to do this thing backwards.

I met Jim Harrick, former UCLA Head Coach, at a 2016 PGC/Glazier clinic in Dallas.

Quick side note: I’ve had people assume I come from a wealthy family and they just pay for me to travel all over the place and do these basketball things. The truth is that I do have very supportive and encouraging parents, but I am by no means rich. My mother does a phenomenal job supporting me financially but it’s not like I can do anything I want or go anywhere I want. My parents have been divorced for most of my life. My dad, unemployed since 2008, now lives in a camper in north Georgia and my mother is a school teacher. I’m a full-time college student. We’re not poor, but certainly not rich. I’ll get into some of my financial beliefs and how that’s played into these opportunities later.

So I meet Jim Harrick in Dallas at PGC/Glazier clinic in fall of 2016. A friend of mine, Faiz Ahmed, and I were talking in July 2016 about the benefits of volunteering at basketball clinics; you get in for free (save money!), and might get unique access to speakers and staff of the clinic. This rings true.

After that conversation I researched basketball clinics in Atlanta. I knew of PGC so I reached out to them about their Atlanta clinic. I’m from Atlanta, so I figured I could volunteer at the clinic, get free admission, and just take the 45-minute drive back and forth from my house each day. They exceeded my expectations: They paid for my hotel allowing me to stay in Atlanta during the entire clinic. That allowed me to begin a relationship (not like we’re best friends but we know each other) with an individual who I think is one of the best coaches in basketball period, Mike Neighbors of Washington and now Arkansas. He, myself, and some other coaches stayed at the same hotel and went out in the night and talked hoops for a few hours.

During the Atlanta clinic, I asked PGC/Glazier staff if they needed help at their Dallas, Texas clinic, which would be the next week… Like in 6 days. Fortunately they said yes., they needed help.

Just like the Atlanta clinic, PGC/Glazier covered my hotel and entry to the clinic so all I had to do was pay for the flight and find cheap food (While in Dallas I walked about two miles to a McDonalds  during breaks because that was by far cheaper than the hotel food and Uber costs money, walking is free).

If you don’t know about PGC/Glazier, you need to because they are really good. Their clinics have multiple sessions Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and will have multiple speakers presenting at once (all in different rooms of course).  Going into Dallas and looking over their speaker lineup, I knew had to be Jim Harrick’s room host. Not only did he win a national championship, he also coached in my home state of Georgia at the University of Georgia and I also figured he might have some influence in getting me into working UCLA’s camp, a position I applied for last summer and did not get.

Another side note: Persistence is key! The first time I applied at Duke and UCLA I was denied. And I am in no way unique here. Countless coaches have persisted when they weren’t given the jobs they wanted.

I told PGC/Glazier that my one request was to be Jim Harrick’s room host. In other words, room hosts are the speaker’s host. We get them water, papers, pens, anything they need. Being a coaches room host also allows for small talk between the sessions. Amazingly, the clinic staff allowed me to host Coach Harrick. By the way, he is a character and great clinician!

At PGC/Glazier I learned that In 1996, Jim Harrick hired the guy who is today’s UCLA camp director. That’s some leverage! Jim reached out to the camp director on my behalf and got me in!

SNOW VALLEY BASKETBALL SCHOOL

Now let’s go backwards in this story. If you noticed I mentioned a conversation I had with Faiz Ahmed, who, by the way, is going to be a phenomenal NBA coach one day. But I hope he and I are on the same college staff one day.

The conversation we had was at Snow Valley Basketball School in Iowa. How did I get that opportunity?

This story is shorter and much more simple. I went to Coaching U Live in Orlando for two summers and met Don Showalter there, the head coach for the USA junior national teams and also the camp director at Snow Valley Basketball School. I also attended PGC/Glazier Atlanta in 2015 (as a guest, not support staff) and got lunch with Coach Showalter there. By seeing me at those two clinics, I guess he noticed I was a fairly dedicated young coach and he invited me to coach at Snow Valley! And of course I said yes.

A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED ME

A BUDGET FOR SUCCESS

Kevin Eastman, one of the best givers to coaches, talked about this recently at his Elite Training Camp last week but I promise I was doing it before I also heard it from him. Beginning my first year of college, I always budget my money, and one of the budgets I have is a basketball budget: it allows me to pay for coaching DVDs, clinics, gas when I go visit a practice, etc.

Each paycheck I get (which is never that much) goes like this, and I learned this from mentors at my church: Give some, save some, live on the rest.

Give 10% to the church or some of my favorite charities. Save/invest about 60%. Live on the rest.

For me, retirement saving has not begun nor have I started saving for my future kids college. Shoot, I’m still in college! Yet, investment for me in my financial plan mostly means invest in myself, my career, and my development. That includes paying for basketball clinics, DVDs, etc.

This past summer this meant taking the money I made from a previous camp to pay for the expenses of the next. For example, I coached a showcase event early this summer. I didn’t spend that money on shoes, my car, or my girlfriend, I saved it and invested it into paying for travel expenses to the next camp.

Not only that, I also started a lawn care company (I use the word company very lightly haha) with my best friend. Almost every single dollar I’ve made from there either went straight to my savings to pay off my final year of college debt-free, or it went straight into my basketball ventures.

Financial Side Note: Older coaches reading this will know this, but some young coaches might not have thought about this. This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned: Financial freedom allows you to do the things you want to do. Debt limits opportunities. No debt opens opportunities. One of the best decisions I’ve made was going to a very affordable in-state university. My college experience has not been the stereotypical American college experience, meaning it hasn’t been a lot of what they call “college fun”, but its been a good education and most importantly, affordable. And I’m so thankful it has been.

If you have financial excuses for why you can’t go to a clinic or a basketball event but all you do is buy ten pairs of sneakers a month or buy 4 concert tickets a month, then you are the only person holding you back. Saying “no” to luxury allows an individual to say “yes” to opportunity. And with enough opportunity, luxury just might have its way of showing up on the backside.

I haven’t seen this among many young coaches, but I have a number of friends who are complaining about not getting a certain job, or not being able to get a shot at anything when all they do is spend their money on their car or boat or girlfriend. Money is absolutely vital in professional advancement because it affords an individual to invest in themselves. Without it, people very much limit their professional opportunities because they can’t buy any products or services to develop!

EBAY

My primary financial goals throughout college have been 1) Graduate debt-free and 2) Invest in my basketball career. One huge help in that has been eBay, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace, and flipping items from thrift stores. What I’ll do now is show you a few items that I have flipped and profited from for the purpose of investing in my basketball career. Hopefully this gets you thinking of ways to make some extra money to invest in your development.

REI Backpacks – I am as interested in camping, fishing, and outdoors activities about as much as Kim Kardashian is. Well, she at least to appears to not spend much time in the wilderness. But I have found a good item to make money off of. That is hiking packs from REI.

A friend of mine invited me to REI, an outdoor gear store, about two years ago to their scratch and dent sale; their clearance sale. I went just for fun. However, while there, I began to think that a lot of those items could definitely be flipped online. So I did my research. Long story short, I have gone to three REI Scratch and Dent sales and profited a few hundred bucks off of it.

These sales attract a large crowd, so to get a good spot in line at these sales, I typically get up at 4 something to be sure I’m the first one in the door. The packs sell really well on eBay so I go straight for them when I get in the door. I’ll grab a few of them off the rack and make sure they’re not torn up too bad. Then I’ll buy them and have them listed on eBay the same day. Some I buy for $70 and sell on eBay for $140. Sell three of those plus a few other miscellaneous items and it’s a $250+ profit in one morning. Definitely beats minimum wage!

Another popular item I’ve flipped are ab lounges. The best flip I’ve done with these was pretty awesome. I found a $3 ab lounge at a Goodwill and had it listed on Facebook yard sale sites the same day. It sold for $85. That’s $82 just by swinging by a goodwill on my way home, listing it online, and meeting the person for pickup. Once again, that surely meets minimum wage.

The last item I’ll mention was a MacBook. I’m a member of several yard sale sites on Facebook. I noticed a macbook on one of the pages going for $50 and just felt in my gut, this is a steal. Without even doing any research, I messaged the seller and bought it the next day. I listed it on eBay and a week or two later it sold for $11,550. Hahaha no I’m kidding. It sold for $150. But still, $100 profit isn’t bad.

Now why am I mentioning this? I mention these items because explaining in detail some things I’ve flipped may give coaches some better insight into how to make some side money to invest in their careers. For me, a specific description of a few different items is better that just hearing “Go flip stuff.”

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW

Sincerely, I hope this adds value to somebody. God has blessed me with these opportunities. And more importantly than these opportunities are the people I’ve met and now call friends. He has also blessed me with people in my life who have taught me the lessons mentioned above. I didn’t come up with any of this stuff or tactics, I just listened to wise people who I want to be like. Sometimes life is pretty simple, we just find a way of making it hard sometimes.

If you are a coach looking for more opportunity or have any questions about anything written here, I’d sincerely love to hear from you. I’m not a huge influencer in the basketball world, but I’d be happy to see if I could connect you with people I know. Or I’d love to talk with you about making side money because I know an extra couple hundreds of bucks could go a long way for some coaches.

Feel free to tweet me at @masonwaters_, email me at mason1waters@gmail.com or call/text at 678) 656-6957. I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading!

MASON WATERS

Jay Bilas Skills Camp

Why Do You Play?

I was recently eating dinner with one of my teammates when he asked me, “Why do you keep playing?” I smiled and said, “That’s an easy one. Because of you guys.” My teammate looked back at me not knowing how to respond to that. But that got me thinking, and that’s a question I want to ask you—Why do you play?

My name is Robert Horn. I’m a 5’ 10” senior at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. I walked-on my freshman year and have played less than 100 career minutes. I’ve only scored 12 points in my college career. Knowing that, you now see why my teammate asked me that. It was a fair question, and its one that I’ve often asked myself.

Why do I play?

Why do I put myself through the grueling grind of college basketball only to ride the pine?

Because of my teammates and the opportunity I have to build relationships with them and make an impact on their lives. I know a lot of guys say that, especially when they are being recruited, but it’s a whole other thing when you’re forced to live it out. This is something that God’s been teaching me throughout my entire college career. If I was here only to “get mine” or for my own personal success, I would have quit my freshman year to play intramurals—and believe me, I almost did. And again sophomore year. And again junior year. But through this process, God has been showing me that basketball is so much more than scoring 20 points a night or playing 35 minutes per game. Basketball isn’t about me. Basketball is just a tool God’s graciously given me to be able to connect with guys who others can’t and in ways that no one else can. This opportunity didn’t come by me pouting on the bench or slacking in the gym—No, I earned guys respect by working harder then them though I saw less on-court opportunities than them. I earned guys respect by showing them support and excitement at their personal success and the team’s success rather than whining over my lack of PT. It was not easy and I struggled with it at different times. But when took my eyes off myself and aligned my perspective to what God called me, I found myself thankful and satisfied for the opportunity rather than selfish over unfulfilled desires. God has shown me that basketball isn’t about my glory, but about His. It’s a platform to serve Him for where He’s called me.

FOUR YEARS AGO

Four years agoI would have told you that a college career spent on the bench was a waste. But God has used these last four years to radically change me in such incredible ways. He has humbled me, convicting me of prideful desires for my own glory over the success of my teammates and the team.  He has revealed my selfishness in caring about my own athletic success over the welfare of my teammates hearts and souls. He has given me the opportunity to be a leader from the bottom, rather than someone who sticks out as the most skilled player or physically dominate person.

THE BEST PART

But the best part is that what God has taught me through basketball will carry over to life. Life isn’t about me or my success or my happiness or my glory. It’s about Someone so much greater me—God! I think it is awesome that we refer to our teams as family because our relationship with God is also portrayed as a family. God has given us the opportunity to be on His team, but we have to accept that we are not the superstar—He is! Just like we could spend 4 years chasing after PT and records, we can spend our lives chasing our own glory and satisfaction and end up wasting it on ourselves! Or we can examine our heart’s motives and take our eyes off of ourselves and finally realize why we are alive —to bring God glory. If we are Christians, we are called to follow after Jesus (Luke 9:23). Jesus’s goal was to bring the Father glory (John 17:4). Bringing God glory, not ourselves, is why we were created. So look at the gifts God has given you and ask yourself why you do them. It may be basketball, it may be music, it could be art—whatever it is, do it to the glory of God, not yourself (1 Corinthians 10:31)!

MY HOPE

My hope is that my story will cause you to examine your heart, and change your mentality as you head into next season. Ask yourself today, “Why do I play?”