who knew

Who knew one day I would one day not care about coaching football or refereeing basketball.
Who knew one day I would love reading about history and leadership.
Who knew one day I would like getting up early in the morning.
Who knew one day I would not know who won a championship, or care.
Who knew one day I would find TV boring, and a waste of time.
Who knew one day I would rather be anonymous than on the stage.
Who knew one day I would become one of the people I used to make fun of.
Who knew one day I would rather serve than receive.
Who knew one day I would not be interested in what someone heard about someone else.
Who knew one day I would face my mortality with a smile, instead of a fear.
Who knew one day I would stop, and think first.
Who knew one day I would pray for those who would attack me, instead of plan my revenge.
Who knew one day I would appoligize because I wanted too, rather had too.

Jer 1:5-“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”

God Knew, that's who.

God Bless

How did that help?

Back in the the 70's I was was told a story by a coach for whom I had great respect. I had just begun coaching, in fact I don't think I had been a coach for 12 months. I listened as he shared the story about coaches in a staff room. The story goes, "the runingbacks (RB) coach turns to the linebacker (LB) coach and says, your LB's stink, so the LB coach replies, so do your RB's. The two coaches go at each other for a while tearing each other down. In the end nothing was accomplished but animosity, a riff in the staff, simply put, nothing that would help the team win." Instead of attacking each other, the old coach said, "how about providing advice or a suggestion to the coach. Something constructive, that has direction, solution oriented, instead of attacking one-another and dividing the staff. Riffs just take away from winning."

So the story went. More than 30 years later I still remember it like it was yesterday. A few weeks ago I watched a person attack another person with criticism over a job done, in the attackers eyes, poorly. I watched as the person attacked the other. I sat their remembering the story about the two coaches and said nothing.

I was wrong because I knew better and still said nothing. Did I learn something, yes. Will it happen again, no. Sometimes being a leader means stand up and risk being fired for the betterment of the team. It's all in how you communicate what you say that leads to victory.

God Bless

God and Basketball

If you didn't know, I'm a Bible thumper. Yes the same people I used to make fun of or say that God was their crutch. Now I'm one of them. What's that have to do with Basketball? Remember the movie "love and basketball." We'll I think the movie was about the way basketball got in the way of a relationship, or was it, heck I can't remember. I just remember the title and for me God is first. So sub Love and God and it's the same title.

So a few weeks age I was at my Bible study and a verse came up, James 3:16. The verse is written, "For wherever there is jealosy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil." What's that have to do with basketball? Perhaps I should be more helpful with officials, more prepared, a better leader. I sometime wonder if my vision for our unit is seen as personal ambition. Don't worry everytime I get full of myself, God humbles me. I don't have a personal ambition regarding our program, in fact the vision I have will most likely be completed after I'm gone. My Job is to prepare the next leader, and when that person reaches that vision, not be jealous.

I really do want to pray before our instruction begins, but I don't, at least not with the unit. When I pray I ask God to give me wisdom. I often fall short when I don't ask, when I do ask God for help I find that things come out of my mouth that I know no business saying because I'm not wise enough or smart enough to say "those words." One of my favorite books in the Bible is Proverbs, also known as the book of wisdom. It's one of my favorites because it is so clear when it comes to understanding wisdom. Here's one that has helped me this year, Proverbs 15:22, "Plans go wrong for lack of advise; many councelors bring success." One of the reasons I'm asking officials to apply to be instructors is because I want to be sure we find different experiences, a broader vision, not a tunnel vision.

Proverbs 18:2, "Fools have no intrest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions." I read that verse recently and wondered if I like the IC position for what it brings or for what I bring to it. Do I bring something that is worthy of God's praise or am I selfish. I've felt both ways. I recently had a conversation with an official who was disapointed with his rating. I shared some things with that person, but I don't believe that he went away with a sense of direction, only disapoinment. I wanted to help this young offical but in the end I felt at a loss. Wondering if I had helped at all. Had I been understanding, I wanted to, but it is he who will decide. What he shares about our conversation will determine if I helped him.

God Bless

Success, that is the question

Everything will rise and fall on leadership. Don't think so. Work in an organization, take a job, help with an event and if the leadership is bad...You figure it out.

What is leadership. Servanthood, is a good place to start, have you ever had a superior ask you what do you need to be successful, and then help you with what you need. Not always the case. Those leaders who do that, you talk about loyalty, they get it.

How about this situation. Your leader is about a 5 out of 10 (10 being best) as a leader. You're a 7 out of 10. What level will you reach as a leader. Well the best you'll do is a 5, because that is as far as the leader will let you develop. That's the law of the lid. What would you do.

Good leaders will have a close inner circle. People who the leader trusts, respects, people who are smart and will disagree with the leader without embarrassing him or her. The inner circle are those who respect the leader most, because they know the leader. The inner circle will help the leader succeed if they are strong people. Who's your inner circle. Do they always agree with you?

I was asked the other day what I thought about the instructional program. I would say it was different. I think it was better, but not good. It has a way to go before I'd call it good. Do I think the direction we are taking could become part of the state teaching program, yes. Would I make some changes, yes. Will I make staff changes, yes. Would some members and board members disagree with the changes, yes. I have a vision for this unit that is clear to me. Have I shared it with enough people, most likely not. Will I be back as the IC? Don't know.

Want more about leadership Read: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John Maxwell
Death by Meeting, or The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
Good to Great, by Jim Collins

God Bless

MT Speaks

I enjoy listening to Mychal Thompson on radio 570. The other day he stated that high school and college referees want to be seen. They think "people came to see them ref." I don't disagree with this statement. My reasoning is simple. If we didn't care about "being seen," our rating, schedule and quality of games wouldn't matter. What would matter is the body of work, our attitude and introspection. This is another way of saying humility is not a bad thing.

Hey MT, why not the NBA officials? JT once told me that the NBA looks for personal qualities in an official. Not positioning or judgement. They look for people skills, personality traits. Often times people skills are code for getting along with people. Getting along often means being humble. Don't get me wrong, being humble doesn't mean you lack confidence. Often times a humble person is very confident, they just don't have to be sure that everyone knows it.

God Bless

about www.agapefitness.com

If you didn't know I train athletes and Individuals
Agape is a Greek word meaning "committed love." It is the love we share with a spouse, child or parent and is also often referred to as love for Jesus.

It is the commitment that we want people to recognize as they watch us as we work with our clients.

The people who will represent Agape will be committed to the Clients needs and goals. We will not believe that one size fits all.

We will always commit to continuing our education to benefit our clients. We encourage our trainers to use their time to continue their education.

We will commit to the well being and safety of our clients always aware of what we are asking them to do. We will not be influenced by fad or trend if it puts our clients at risk of injury.

We commit to testing and evaluating our clients before we begin a program. We will set ourselves apart from many trainers who see everyone as the same without knowing.

Please visit our site. www.agapefitness.com

Another Camp

DAVE LIBBEY’S BASKETBALL OFFICIATING ACADEMY

A New Generation of Basketball Officiating Training Emphasizing • Education • Training • Leadership Join Dave Libbey and a select handpicked staff for a new concept in basketball officiating instruction. The Academy is your opportunity to experience what it takes to do more than just survive as a basketball official.This experience will provide you the knowledge and skills needed to improve and advance your officiating career. The Academy will benefit both men and women at all levels of officiating and will be especially beneficial to board members and the instructional leaders of your local associations.Participants have the opportunity to take the skills learned in sessions and try them out in high school varsity level basketball in 2 person and 3 person crews.Joining Dave will be Mark Reischling (my mentor) and other top quality officials to assist with the instructions...Check it out: click here: http://www.uofs.com/Camps/basketball_officiating_academy.htm