It’s March, and for sports fans in the US, that means one thing – March Madness – the NCAA basketball tournament. 65 teams play a single elimination tournament to decide who wins the national championship. The conference end of season tournaments have already begun. These tournaments are a great because their champion gets a bid to the big tournament. Sometimes, these games are the most interesting to watch because of their intensity.
I can remember when the tournament had only 16 teams, and it seemed as if UCLA won every year. I remember the 1966 tournament when Texas Western (now the University of Texas at El Paso) upset Kentucky – and changed the face of the game. Coach Don Haskins started five black players. What is commonplace today was unthinkable then. That team’s story was immortalized in the 2006 movie Glory Road. I remember Al McGuire, the Marquette Coach, who had already announced his retirement, crying on the bench after his team beat North Carolina for the championship in 1977.
Today, I’d like to spend some time discussing another great coach. Mike Kryzewski is the basketball coach at Duke University – and has been for the past 27 years. He’s won three NCAA championships, and has been named National Coach of the Year 12 times. He knows a lot about basketball and more than a little bit about life.
Coach K and his daughter, Jamie Spatola, have written a book: Beyond Basketball: Coach K’s Keywords for Success. The book contains 40 essays that begin with a word or phrase that is special to Coach K. He then goes on to use personal stories that tell the reader what these words mean to him and why. He says “my ultimate goal in writing this book is for you choose your own words and stories, for you to look into your past and pay attention to your present so that you image of the work will become a story from your own life experiences.
Here are some of the words and phrases from the book that I like.
- Adversity – “Failure your can never be your destination.”
- Belief – “When someone believes in you, it raises you confidence level and allows you to try things that are impossible to do by yourself.”
- Communication – “My team has one rule regarding communication: when you talk to one another, you look each other in the eye.”
- Courage – Always surround yourself with individuals who will enable your courage when it is lacking from within.”
- Guidance – “You can go to someone you trust and respect – but remember, solutions are personal, they’re yours.”
- Imagination – “Imagination gives you a destination. The greatest gift a coach can give a player, a teacher can give a student, and a parent can give to their child is the opportunity to imagine great things. Dreams pave the way for future success.”
This book really does go beyond basketball. It presents some great ideas for what it takes to succeed in business and life. Check it out. I think you’ll like it – even if you always lose in the office bracket pool.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.CareerSuperStar.com for common sense advice on becoming a success in your life and career.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.
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