I've been blessed to coach some incredible athletes in my time, have won some conference championships and some international gold medals. Despite this success, winning has never been a priority for me. Most people are surprised when I tell them that I really don't care about winning, but the truth is, I don't.
Winning is an artificial measure of success that is often trumpeted by our society, but as I've been involved in athletics for over three decades I've come to understand that winning is not the true measure of success.
A good friend of mine who played in the major leagues for years told me once, "In sports you'll always be better than someone, and there will always be someone better than you. You can't let the final score determine whether you were successful or not."
He's right. The true measure of success is not in what the final score is. The true measure of success is in what you have done with the gifts God has given you.
John Wooden, easily the greatest basketball coach ever, simply said that "Winning is knowing that on any given night you have done the best you can that night with the skills God has given you."
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to start a new organization called Grove Volley. Our tagline is "Training for Success". Grove Volley grew out of a need in our community here in Greenwood for quality training of athletes in the sport of volleyball. We particularly identified a gap for girls ages 8-14, and wanted to fill that gap. One of the reason I wanted to be involved with Grove Volley
was to help athletes and parents train for real success, regardless of
what the final score on the scoreboard is.
When we see skills improve, and new players fall in love with
the game and develop some skills, That is success. When we see average
players become good and good players become better players, that is
success. When we see excellent players become better and become leaders
who push others to excellence, that is success. When an athlete maximizes their God-given ability they have been successful. When a team bonds together and maximizes their capabilities, they have been successful.
God calls us to do the most we can with the gifts and talents he has given us. In being part of Grove Volley we have a commitment to excellence that goes beyond any scoreboard. I'm excited about this part of my life.
