Being a Competitor

Over the years I have come to realize that there are really very few true competitors in the world of high school athletics.  Most athletes think they are competitors because they enjoy playing the game or they like to win.  But is that really what a competitor is?   Are these high school athletes who claim to be a competitor living up to the standards that their coaches and those greats who came before them hold true?  The great John Wooden once said, “If you have one competitor on your squad you will be successful. If you have two you will be competing for the conference title and with three a national title.” He had no idea what four or five competitors on a single team would be like since he had never witnessed it.

As the start of basketball season is just around the corner, I am watching my players to see if I have any true competitors on my team.  In the upcoming blogs, I will be breaking down and writing about what a true competitor looks like.  Hopefully, I will find one or more on my team this year.  I know we will have some talent.  But will we have competitors?  As Coach Wooden so aptly put it, if I can find one competitor then I believe we will be successful and make the playoffs.  If I have two solid competitors, we will go deeper in the playoffs then the program has seen.  If by some chance, I have three, I honestly believe Regionals (and perhaps beyond) is a reasonable goal.

But will we have any competitors?  Or will be a team that is full of those who think they are competitors, but are deceiving themselves?  I sure hope its the first one.  Time will tell.