20 Years ago

I was thinking last night as I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep the night before our first game of the season that it was 20 years ago that I had my first game as a head basketball coach. I will never forget those feelings and nerves before we lined up to play a team that we probably weren't going to beat. I just wanted to keep it respectable. I will also not forget the fact that just as I sent the team out on the floor for the pregame warmups, I suddenly took a sidetrip to the bathroom and threw up out of nerves. We didn't win that game, but we played really well. I was proud of their effort that night. Even though we lost, it was a springboard to the first winning season that school had in a long time.

Now 20 years later, I am about to coach my first varsity game in 4 years. Opening game jitters are normal for me (though I have not approached anything close to the bathroom run I made 20 years ago). Before we play our first game, I do not yet have a handle on what kind of team we are going to be. How will we react to pressure? Will we be able to execute? Have we really had enough practice in doing everything we are trying to do? I never know those answers until the ball is tossed at center court signifying the start of the season. Over the next hour and 15 minutes, I learn more about my team than I do in any one block of time.

Tonight will be a tough test for us. We are playing what is one of the top teams on our schedule and playing perhaps the best player we will play all year. Maybe it isn't the best way to start a season, but why not get an early test to see what we are going to be like.

I will be posting tomorrow about the game.