So this week is almost over and it has been a week filled with some highs and lows. We are starting to get together as a team and have really moved forward in discovering our self. I think this team has all the tools necessary to achieve something special.
The good
The week started with a team meeting and some team building. Fred one of the guest coaches was able to take some great photo's of the team during practice and some different fun situations. So we were able to create a slide show of the team. We used one of Nike's commercials with Michael Jordan. "Look me in the eye" It was perfect because it has been an example of how to portray confidence in each other. In the commercial MJ talks about being afraid of how great we can become.
It was a great starting point for the meeting. If the team gives me permission I might post it at a later date. I really find it coincidental that hollywood creates movies at the time we need something that portrays the message that we want to send. They are better at pep talks than I am. As a coaching staff we were trying to find something that we could use to show positive team self talk. Earlier this year I had DVR many of ESPN's 30 for 30. These are amazing stories about sport. I was watching the one about the Boston Red Sox and their comeback from the Yankees in the playoffs. Down 3-0 in the best of 7 series they never strayed from their message. We were able to show the team how they beat history. No team in the history of baseball had ever come back from down that far. The Sox rally cry became Why not us!!!! It was a perfect message for us to send to our team. The Boston teamed stayed positive in the midst of some amazing diversity. Our team responded well to the movie and even brought it up a couple of times in our individual meetings. Hey Why can't we shock the world. If we train as hard as them and believe in ourself more Why not us.
The Bad
That was the high part of the week, the low part came later in the week. The time in our season had come to select the team. Over my career as a coach this is the time of any team that I dread. This year it was the worst one for me since the Canada Games team I coached back in 2001. Both of these had a large amount of similarities. Usually you have the athletes for a week and then select them. As a coach you really don't have a lot of time to invest in them emotionally. But after 3 weeks we found ourselves emotionally invested into everyone. They all work so hard and train the right way. There wasn't one person who we could say, She has a bad attitude easy choice. I don't know Lupo does it he has athletes for years and then has to tell them it is time to move on. I know he really wants the best for all the athletes he coaches. Same is for us on the FISU team we really want the best for all the athletes.. But unfortunately the rules say only 12 players get to travel to China and we have to break someone's heart. this might be the first time that these athletes have every been cut, and it is a tough time to start. I thought of the movie miracle when Herb Brooks had to cut a player just before the Olympics.
WE met with everyone individually and explained where they fit into our plans. The athletes were very impressive, all of them said they wanted to stay to the end. I have been cut a few times in my life and I understand how difficult it must have been the first practice after. The athletes feel that they can push us to get better and play a small part in achieving our goals. They have bought into the idea of 17 of us will head to China, 12 physically and 5 in spirit.
We borrowed a tradition from hockey and applied it to volleyball. In hockey if one of the players gets injured a lot of teams will hang the injured player's jersey behind the bench. This symbolizes that the player is with them in spirit. We all signed a Canadian flag. This flag is to be put up in the gym at every practice and will be on the bench at every game. It is our symbol for our teammates that we still value their contributions. It is something for us to show each other that we are competing for our country, schools but more importantly for each other.
The Ugly
I really have nothing ugly to point out but it was a catchy title. We are ending our week again with a match, so I guess the Ugly is how bad my team is going to beat up on the other half of the team. It is going to be ugly tomorrow.
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