Your Best Player

The past three years, I've had the opportunity to coach the best girl's basketball player in the Washington State Class 1B's in Lake Quinault's Kellie Sansom. She will be playing next fall for Cheryl Holden at Columbia Basin Community College.

This young lady has really improved her game so much the past three seasons. She is the most competitive player I have coached. She was our best player, but yet she was our hardest worker.

To be a successful team, your best player MUST be your hardest worker.

Every team has a best player. Some of these "best players" understand the responsibilities that goes with that and others don't. We have found that those who do have two things in common:

• they have earned this designation (not just been given it)
• they understand it's an everyday responsibility.

Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett made a comment when he was talking to a teammate about consistency. He said, "an All-Star has to be a pit-bill; he/she has to bring it every night."

Everyone wants to be a Michael Jordan or Time Duncan or LeBron James or Steve Nash, but they don't want the responsibility that goes with it. What Kevin Garnett was saying is being the best is not a one-time thing. It is an everyday commitment to excel as a player who gives maximum effort every time he/she hits the floor. That means every game, every half, every quarter, every minute, every second, and every possession!!!

And this will be the case for anyone in any field who is - or wants to become - the best! It is a personal commitment that takes incredible daily focus. I encourage you to use Kellie as an example with the player or players on your team who may be taking this for granted. You can tell them that Kellie not only talks the talk but walks the walk. She understands that being the best requires more!