Never Give Up On Your Hopes and Dreams ####################################### Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Boston Celtics Hall of Famers Bob Cousy and Bill Russell suffered the same fate. Einstein was four years old before he could speak. Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school. Beethoven's music teacher once said of him "as a composer he is hopeless." When Thomas Edison was a boy his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. Admiral Peary attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before he made it on try number eight. Oscar Hammerstein had five flop shows that lasted less than a combined total of six weeks before Oklahoma, which ran for 269 weeks and grossed $7 million. John Creasey received 743 rejection slips from publishers before one word was ever published - he eventually published 560 books, which have sold more than 60 million copies. F.W. Woolworth got a job in a dry good store when he was 21, but his employer would not let him wait on customers because he "didn't have enough sense." A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had no good ideas. Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade. Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school in his sophomore year. He was persuaded to come back and placed in a learning disabled class. He lasted a month and dropped out of school forever. Championship mindset ##################### What Does the Coach Expect From His Players? In our attempt to become champions on the basketball court, we must also learn to be champions in the game of life. Below are the high standards and guidelines that we expect from our players: * Act like a Champion. * Excel in the class room. You will either pay the price now, or you'll pay a bigger price later! * Expect to Win. Doubters don't win. Winners don't doubt. * Play Hard. Always give your best. * Play with Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm shows the world that you're excited and have a passion for what you're doing. Get excited and enjoy what you're doing! * Play Smart. Stay focused and maintain a high level of concentration. * Never Give Up! People who won't quit, don't. * Be Coach-able. These are the people you win championships with. * Act Mentally Tough. Don't panic and break under pressure! * Always Have a Positive Attitude. I can't stand negative people! * Don't Make Excuses. Learn to accept responsibility for your actions. * Be a Leader. Leaders are people who show the way and lead by example. * Always put the Team First! Selfish and self-centered people can't. * Work hard in practice. This is the time you earn the right to play for the State Championship. True Champions Action Steps ############################ 1. Make your religion and Its teaching the foundation for your life. Your goal is to live a God-centered balanced life. 2. Act like a Winner. I can't stress enough the importance of handling yourself at all times with class and integrity, especially in the tough times that truly test everyone and usually bring out our worst instincts. 3. Always be positive. Positive people can take on the world. 4. Be committed to hard work. Hard work is not always fun, but it's the price you must pay to be more successful. The harder you work, the tougher it is to surrender. 5. Be nice. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. 6. Avoid having to be right all the time. Your goal is to connect with people, not defeat. 7. Be committed to doing things the right way. Remember that perfect practice makes perfect. 8. Smile! In every culture it is the light in your window that tells people there's a caring, sharing individual inside. 9. Learn to stay relaxed and friendly no matter how much tension you're under. 10. Write down your goals and review them often. When you fail to plan, you are planning to fail by default. 11. Focus all your attention and energy on the achievement of your goals. 12. Don't put things off. Get in the habit every day of doing the more unpleasant things first... If you tell someone you're going to do something, then do it. 13. Eliminate the word quit from your vocabulary. If you want to be successful over the long haul, you must be willing to stay the course... People, who won't quit, don't. 14. Learn from your mistakes. There are four things you should do with a mistake: (1) recognize it, (2) admit it, (3) learn from it, (4) forget it. 15. Be able to admit your weaknesses and establish short-term goals to overcome them. 16. Dress and look your best at all times. 17. Respond with a simple, courteous "thank you" when anyone pays you a compliment for any reason. 18. Sit up front in the most prominent rows when you attend class, meetings, etc. 19. Replace the word "can't" with "can," and "try" with "will" in your vocabulary. 20. Be on time. Always try to be at least ten minutes early. 21. Thrive on pressure. The more you prepare the better able you are to handle pressurized situations. Pressure often brings out extraordinary results. 22. Develop a study routine. Discipline yourself to study 1 to 2 hours a night. Your grades/ performance reflect the amount of time you are willing to invest. 23. Stay humble. Respect and recognition comes from personal sacrifice, hard work, and the grace of God.
