“Failure to prepare, is preparing to fail.”
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
“Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.”
There are too many quotes about the value, no, the necessity, of preparation in realizing success. So many, that there must be wisdom there. The reality of that wisdom hit home for at least three of our players in the past week.
As we round the corner to the playoffs and a chance to defend our school’s city championship, our rotations predictably have become shorter. For a team of sixteen players, that means around ten players are getting in – which is still a higher number than most teams at this time of year. Players had all season to cement their roles going into this final push for the success we have long sought. Now is the time to put our faith and trust in those that have been the most consistent in practice and games leading up to this moment. Everyone has been given more than ample opportunity to show what they bring, to demonstrate competence in their roles. But as we prepare for our first playoff game this week, we will go with the ones that have given us the most, most consistently. That is not to say that players beyond that shortened rotation haven’t helped us get here, won’t help us any further, or have less value. I am adamant that each player is vital in our total team development to realize our ultimate form. And that is most certainly not to say that the players beyond that shortened rotation won’t get in again. They just have to stay ready, just as a few of our players did this past week.
In the first instance, we told one of our players to stay ready. We knew we were facing arguably our best competition in the city, a team anchored by a stellar point guard. We knew we wanted to wear him down. I spoke to one of our players and told him to be ready when his name was called, that we would need his ball defense for whatever amount of time we put him on the floor for. He accepted his role, as he has for the most part all season, and was anxious to get in and contribute – despite dislocating his finger in warmups. When his name was called, he went in and did as we asked him, and when he came out, he did so proudly of the effort he made. We needed that effort, that readiness, that humility to accept a limited role, because it could be one of the differences in the game. We’re fortunate that he is not the only one that has stayed ready.
In our first game of a tournament we participated in out of town this past weekend, we had another player who has shown glimpses of being a X-factor for us. His length, athleticism and shooting ability are attributes that can be impactful when needed. Despite having a difficult time adjusting to his role on our team, and the systems we play in, he has continued to focus on his preparation, waiting and hopeful for an opportunity that might open the door to more for him. In that first game of the tournament he showed how far he has come. Despite not getting in until later in the game, he showed growth in the areas that he has struggled while putting all of those valuable attributes to use. It was probably his best game to date. He stayed ready, despite being disappointed in not playing in every game this season. But he was not the last one to stay ready.
After not playing in two of our biggest league games, yet another player came to see me to ask why he hadn’t been getting in. In our conversation I explained all of the things he was doing right and told him to keep staying ready; that he just had to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. That opportunity came in the second game of the tournament. He did everything we could’ve asked for and then some. He didn’t come off the floor in the second half of a game against one of the top teams in the province. His legs might’ve lamented his readiness at the conclusion of that game but he served as a reminder to all of our team, that if your preparation is there, if you stay ready, good things happen.
Staying ready isn’t easy. It takes a true competitor to both physically AND mentally stay prepared for an opportunity that they never know when, or even if, will arise. And on our team of sixteen players, it may feel like an eternity before you see that preparation and readiness meet the door of opportunity. It means staying in the gym. It means having confidence in, and knowing, your worth. It means humbly accepting your role. It means being present to the innumerable ways you can contribute beyond the box score. It means maxing out your 95%. Staying ready is hard, there is no question. At times it may even feel harder than playing a whole second half without a rest. But the only way to crank that door open further, is to do just that.
Patti says
Great examples of players who did everything they could to make themselves and the team more successful. Everyone is in the game – even when sitting on the bench.