We needed to work as a team. The point guard brought the ball up the court as I rushed to call out a play. The other team stole the ball and scored. Once again the opposing side trounced us. More importantly, we failed to play as a team and I had to take responsibility. The first half of the season, I felt like a failure.
You might assume this is your typical essay about my high school basketball team rallying in the face of failure. However, it is not.
Last winter, I became the coach of a third and fourth grade basketball team. Compared to other programs in the county we were underfunded and practiced in a miniature school gym.
We began the season playing a tournament in our hometown. We played three games and looked unprepared. In the first game, our point guard never passed the
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I want everyone to touch the ball before we take a shot!” I said after the meeting.
Then, I put everyone into separate lines and had each kid practice shooting while having the others encourage them. “Bend your knees, nice and easy,” I said as I demonstrated the proper shooting position. After watching their supportiveness, I knew we could turn it around.
The next weekend we played Lee, our rivals. During the game everyone shared the ball, making us all happy—including the parents. We upset Lee, claiming our first victory of the season. It was monumental because the team believed in each other and beamed with confidence.
We lost twice the rest of the season and won seven games. Moreover, we had much more camaraderie. Despite feeling like a failure at first, I knew I could not give up with all these kids and their parents counting on me. I had to change what I did by putting my leadership and coaching skills to the test, developing moxie and confidence during the process. I never knew that a few third graders would teach me one of the most valuable lessons in my life: learning from failure to create