It has been often said by coaches that you learn a lot in defeat.  Although I have said it a few times in my coaching career it is not always true.  Defeats in life are especially not something we want to learn from.  When I first wrote this blog Adam Scott (current number 1 golfer in the world) had just given up a 4-shot lead with only a few holes to play to Ernie Els in the Open Championship (formerly the British Open). 

As a coach you know when you run into a buzz saw: a team that you are equal too that has the perfect day against you or a team that is clearly better than you.  In my team’s semifinal game last year we played a team that was clearly better than us.  Every single kid on that team had verbally committed to a major division one softball school; they had 19 players on the roster for heaven’s sake.  They had power and speed from both sides of the plate, and the pitching was superb.  I picked their coach’s brain in between innings.  What stood out most for me was when he revealed that this group of 19 really good players had truly bought into the program.  Coaches need talent, and although I didn’t have 19 players similarly talented, I did have at least 10.  What I did not have was a group of kids and families who understood and who whole-heartedly bought into the program.  Fast forward two years- we have developed a team where 12 of the 13 players have verbally committed to best college and universities in the country.  Will we win-it-all next week when we head off to the softball national championship?  I can not say we will, but what I can say is that a commitment to getting better, hard work and an improvement in talent gives us a chance.  I encourage you in your life to put yourself in a position through hard work where you give yourself a chance.