And just like that ... it's my last season of basketball. I have been playing basketball for 17 years and I'm entering my last season. It's crazy to think this is the year of lasts but I'm extremely thankful to get to play basketball. With the COVID craziness, I didn't think we would be able to play, so I'm ready.
Every year, the team reads a book and we talk about it before our first practice. This year, the book was called "The Hard Hat" by Jon Gordon. This book is a true story about a selfless, loyal and compassionate leader and teammate, who played lacrosse at Cornell. It identifies 21 ways to be a great teammate and exercises to help build a great team.
"The Hard Hat" was extremely eye opening for me and helped me realize I don't want to take this year for granted. We got together to talk about what this book means to us and how it is going to help us be a great team. I would recommend this book to anyone because there are so many situations where you are on a team and it is really beneficial to keep the lessons from the book in mind.
Out of the 21 lessons to be a great teammate, three of them really stuck out to me.
1. Stay positive and spread contagious energy
- As a lot of people know, I am really loud and energetic and it makes me so happy to spread my energy on others. I know (at times) it can be a lot, but I love being able to boost the energy in the room. "You can be a germ or a big dose of vitamin C."
- I'm a perfectionist. I don't like messing up and I don't like failure. I try to pursue excellence in everything I do. The book talked about the one percent rule: try to focus on getting one percent better at something in your life every day and results will show.
- I think everyone has a calling and a purpose in life and it's so cool to me. The idea of leaving a legacy or leaving your mark really amazes me. I want to impact someone's life by my presence and being a great friend.
Ohhh the many "lasts" that go with senior year :(
ReplyDeleteI love having a book that everyone reads, because it allows you to have something to reflect on all season long. This book looks like a really good one and I may need to borrow and read it. Here's to your last b-ball season. It will be the best one yet <3
I love how the team reads the same book every year - I feel like it would help unite the team in many ways. Even though I no longer play any sports, I believe the main three lessons you pointed out can be applied in everyday life. I definitely think your positive energy is contagious. I remember our first class together last year. I was nervous because I wasn't close with anyone in the class, but you were so kind and talkative, which helped make the class more exciting. Also, your stories about Rhonda always make me laugh! Good luck on your last season!
ReplyDeleteIt’s really cool how the team reads the same book, especially every year. It really is a defining thing that unites the team together.
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