Choosing Joy

“Basketball is a form of play, of course, but it’s easy for players to lose sight of this because of the pressures of the job. As a result, my primary goal during practice is to get the players to reconnect with the intrinsic joy of the game."

Greatness is Making Those Around You Better

“…the true measure of a star was his ability to make the people around him look good." 🏐 Karch Kiraly was and is a master of this in the volleyball world.

Full Engagement

“Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I’m doing. I get unhappy when my mind begins to wander, during wins as well as losses. Sometimes a well-played defeat will make me feel better than a victory in which the team doesn’t feel especially connected.

This hasn’t always been the case. As a young player, winning meant everything to me. My sense of self-worth rose and fell depending on my personal performance and how my team stacked up…” See Part 1 for more on this

Sport is life with the volume turned up

"That’s when I come alive: on the basketball court. As the game unfolds, time slows down and I experience the blissful feeling of being totally engaged in the action…

That’s when you realize that basketball is a game, a journey, a dance- not a fight to the death. It’s life just as it is.”