Attitude - A Daily Decision

"Never Before Have I Realized The Importance of Attitude In Life. It Alone Can Fuel My Hopes Or Extinguish My Dreams"

Much like the picture symbolizes to the left, a negative attitude holds you back from your true potential as a basketball player and more importantly an individual. I know for myself when I am looking for people to work beside me or perform any type of service the first quality I look for is what type of attitude does the person reflect. I realize that someones energy doesn't necessarily guarantee quality of work, but it certainly means they have the desire and enthusiasm to give it their best shot. I'll put that person on my team any day.

Perhaps Charles Swindoll said it best:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it."

Even though I strive to make my blog entries 100% personal and not words copied out of an article I really didn't think my post would mean as much without someone being able to read that memoir. Being a young coach I used this tool as a crutch during my first season as an assistant at the collegiate level. There were times when I did indeed doubt my decision and wondered if I could effectively provide the teaching and skills necessary for the job, but did not one day go by where I was going to let a negative attitude get in my way of trying. I quickly learned that although I didn't always have the proper words or exact solution to a problem being positive with the players and staff sparked enthusiasm and helped in some way for some one.

How You Can Incorporate This Philosophy:

Enjoy what you are doing.

Give your absolute best effort.

Be optimistic about the task at hand.

Carry a cloud of positive energy and belief in yourself and others.

That's it! These four simple rules provide you with a mindset that will make it almost impossible to fail. As in many aspects of life details make huge difference. Walk around with a smile. Look happy to see others and show them you care about what they have to say. Go into a project or job and know that you will meet every challenge that comes your way. Finally, some things happen for a reason but there are times when you have the ability to make it happen yourself. It's not easy as remember Mr. Swindoll made the reference to attitude being more important than MONEY, APPEARANCE and SKILL! Take the circumstance out of every event in your life. Wake up every morning evoking this decision and I promise you a much calmer, focused, productive and enjoyable day!

Coach Rohr

The True Role Of A Teacher

"Tell Me And I’ll Forget; Show Me And I May Remember;

Involve Me And I’ll Understand"

This quote by an author that has long forgotten me is to me the truest sense of any function I perform on or off the basketball court. Whether I'll be going over individual instruction or putting together a document for members of the team these words ring true. Reasons why I strive for this action are simple:

Personal Growth - If my coaching includes only one-way conversations then what am I really developing in my athletes? By instead including them in the process, asking questions instead of making demands and working towards their styles and preferences I now create a cause and make the lesson (post development, offensive adjustments, scouting reports, goal setting, etc.) functional for each individual.

Commitment - Ideas and processes compelling to others will most likely inspire them to do more for the cause. Developing, communicating and explaining a relatable lesson or vision creates a defining moment for players and ignites a commitment to excellence.

Foundation - Showing my own commitment to this process allows the team to see my true intentions and provided I prepare and teach them all important aspects of the game I set the guidelines for how they interact and perform. Now I don't demand expectations, but live them.

Influence - If I'm adaptive in my ways I can effectively reach all of my followers (players), regardless of any situation, circumstance or skill level. Again if I'm teaching (allowing them to understand and think through situations) they will be able to conquer and meet everyday occurrences and challenges.

Overall this is an easy process to overlook with amount of instruction and players in a program. Although there are basic teaching points you must demand as a coach don't forget to explain and think through the lesson with a player or fellow coach. Doing this not only allows for many advantages in a game atmosphere, but improves your teaching efficiency and builds relationships with athletes. An aspect I feel is being lost with the growing demands of collegiate basketball coaches.

Keep faith in what you believe in!

- Coach Rohr