As a coach, I always encourage my players to make the most of their opportunity because you never know when you will get another one. This is one of the most challenging tasks to get accomplished but also one of the most valuable for any team. The opportunity to play college basketball is not something that every high school athlete gets to experience. In fact, according to a recent study by the NCAA only 3% of high school athletes go on to play college basketball. So the opportunity to sign, get a college education and play the game you love should be appreciated! When you watch NCAA basketball, you will see arguably some of the best basketball on TV because these players are hungry, they are trying to prove themselves and they are fighting for the coveted championship!
Only one team will win the national championship and it is not always the best team in the nation. It is the team that makes the most of their current opportunity! Each game is an opportunity broken down by each possession that are multiple opportunities for a team to execute, work together and accomplish everything they have worked for up until this point. Is it all just a game? Players who understand appreciating an opportunity will seize it! They understand that failure is not in losing the game; instead failure would be not recognizing that this is an opportunity to do what you love with your team! This stage is where stars are born and teams make history! Each game you will see players overcome their fears and let go of their inhibitions in order to have that one opportunity to be the champion! There will only be one.
As for the other teams that do not win, they will go into the off season training and preparing to position themselves again next March to win again. They hope to learn from their mistakes, improve as a team and begin again more wisely as Henry Ford stated. Opportunity - athletes prepare for it all year long. The question is, how long are you willing to prepare for your opportunity? Will you be ready to take the risk, let go of your inhibitions, forget your fears and go after what you want? Win or loss, recognize and appreciate each opportunity and live a life that you can be proud of!
