It’s March. It’s Madness. A friend and I recently went to visit my sister, eat with Chef Matt McClure, and watch some college basketball. At one point, my friend spent a long, quizzical moment staring at my sister, my brother-in-law and me. I guess I understand why. We were standing in the middle of a world class art museum surrounded by walls full of art, and we were talking basketball. Yep, that’s how we roll – especially in March. We just can’t help it.
Of course we’re not alone. Your house may have been taken over by the madness of brackets, hoops, balls, and the cheers of the Big Dance. It happens. Amidst all the craziness, there’s sometimes a bit of Magic and always lots of lessons worth remembering.
March Madness is a series of battles on the court. The teams that win are always the ones that:
• Are strong and fit from their regular training program
• Remain aware of the position of all the players on the court
• Pay attention to the advice of the coach
• Stay aware of the time on the clock
• Play with heart
• Assist each other
• Rebound
• Tune out the circumstances and play their game
• Pass to the open man
• Foul only when necessary
• Never stop playing hard until the final buzzer
• Play as a team
• Believe they can win
Did you happen to notice that everything on this list also contributes to winning in life?
It is clear by the clapping and yelling I saw yesterday that an NCAA basketball crowd recognizes moments of great teamwork. I’m grateful that we have this sort of competition to remind us that teamwork can lead us to greater success than we can possibly achieve on our own.
I hope we will carry that awareness with us into our homes and places of work after the championship game. Perhaps it will help us as spouses, parents, and work team members to remain aware that:
• Each player brings value to the team
• All roles are essential to reach the desired outcome
• Each player needs to play hard when they’re on the court
• Each player needs to rest and regroup off the court
• When a player has an off day, the rest of the team can take up the slack
• The decisions we make affect the whole team
• Leadership brings strategy that moves the team past its obstacles
• It is good to acknowledge a great play
• All players need encouragement
• Not every player can be expected to go on to the next level
• Teams of character play by the rules
My team has already lost this year, but that hasn’t kept me from cheering on other teams. I know that we’ll have another opportunity. And that’s another great thing to remember. Some days we lose the battle, but there’s always another opportunity!
Keep playing hard and with heart until the final buzzer! That’s what I call thriving.