Cocoon to Butterfly.... Well butterfly might be doing too much

After my first post, I received a message from a players' parent. It was very touching and meant more than she will ever know. Within the message she put, "Basketball limited your ability to reach the masses....".  Well after I thanked her for her words of encouragement and wiped some tears from my eyes, I really started to analyze what she put.

Ok commercial break, I am a Virgo. It is in my nature to analyze everything about 50 times, and then go back and analyze it some more. Now my friends and family would say that has nothing to do with my sign, more that I am a neurotic control freak, but wow blaming it on my sign sounds much more positive, wouldn't you agree?


Ok back to the regular scheduled program. Is it that the sport and career that I loved so much actually could be the thing that was limiting me? Keeping me in a box and controlling my freedom to fight for what I wanted to fight for, speak what needed to be spoken, and to lead the way I wanted to lead?

Now before I start, I do not think coaching is negative at all. I love being a coach and loved my experiences as a coach. I have met the best people in the world in my career, and will continue with that path. But you do have to have the right fit, have the right amount of freedom, and have the support of the people around you. That makes all the difference in the world. So it wasn't basketball that was limiting me, it was dependent on the program.

However she was correct, I could not reach the masses where I was. If you are in the right programs, you are given the freedom to help others outside of your program. The university, athletic director and colleagues will see the value and support your message. Coach Wooden for UCLA, Coach K from Duke, Coach Dungy from Indianapolis Colts all were able to reach the masses with their emphasis on building character rather than just worrying about the wins because people around them understood and appreciated the value in that. I, on the other hand, not so much. I was the only one who cared about my message, and more importantly that did not fit within their agenda. (Still not sure what the agenda is.)

My message was on education and character, I will go further into detail later. So I am at a fork in the road and I can choose to either continue to focus on basketball, or I can focus on what I think is lacking in athletics from CYO to college graduation. Hmmm.... I think I will focus on the latter.  And while I was debating this decision I have had a lot of signs from the Heavenly Father pointing me in a specific direction. And one of the signs, is a song, the link is enclosed in this posting. If you have the time listen to it, read the words and see if it inspires a change in you. We all have a calling, an intrinsic passion for our purpose and I have found mine. Basketball was/is a tool in order to build it, shape it and give me a platform in which to emphasize it, but now as my players' parent pointed out, it needs to reach the masses.


Check out the video for the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUrqFkR7QlI

So it starts today...

Welcome to my new journey. Although I will not reveal the 3 keys yet, I will share why the sudden change. In the middle of the season (whoops in bball terms that means January) my mom sent me an email. I had no idea of the relevance until in May I found out my yearly contract was up and the job would be posted. After being told I would have to reapply for the job and to think about what I wanted to do, I went home and decided I was not happy there. Hard to conceive being that everyone told me being a collegiate coach was a dream job. Maybe I heard it so much I just assumed it was my dream. Well we will save the progression for another day. Any way this email ended up allowing me to clear my head and quiet the noise. Maybe it will do the same for you. I have no idea who the author is, but I thank them tremendously as well as my mother, who always seems to give me exactly what I need.

CLEANING HOUSE 2010 


Last Week I threw out worrying, it was getting old and in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST
(Didn't have time to read it anyway).

Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today.

I threw out hate and bad memories,
(Remember how I treasured them so)?

Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL, and I MUST.

Threw out I might, I think and I ought.
WOW, you should have seen the dust.

I ran across an OLD FRIEND, I hadn't talked to in a while.

His name is GOD the Father, and I really like His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself.

Like PRAYER, HOPE, FAITH and LOVE,
Yes... I placed them right on the shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door.

I FOUND IT- it's called PEACE.. Nothing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice.

Looks good around the place.

For things like Worry and Trouble there just isn't any space.

It's good to do a little house cleaning,
Get rid of the things on the shelf.

It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT YOURSELF.
BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!! 
May the Lord open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that
You will not have room enough to receive it all.