Coach’s Sleepless Night

November 5th, 2015 | Uncategorized

I’ve always been a night owl, a fact to which my mother can attest. Week ends, week days , game days, I’m likely to be awake. The reasons were plenty: procrastination catching up to me, NBA on TNT, girl talk and wet nails. The list goes on. Coach Milli definitely discouraged the practice despite being somewhat of an insomniac herself.

 

But today a player of mine said something likely to keep me up at nights long after my flight next June
“…With all due respect, [not playing] is just a waste of my time…”

 

I felt horrible and rightfully so, like I had personally stole the joy of basketball from their clutches. God knows I know what that’s like. The moment was bitter and ironic especially given my purpose here and it made me wonder about all the sleepless nights that coaches suffer. Was it the right play? The right substitution? The right plan? They say you need a short memory in basketball-leaving behind the last miss and focusing on the next make, the next stop- but man those memories come flooding back ten-fold after the final whistle. Nevertheless, I can only hope they decide to play again–not for me but for their teammates’ sake and for the love of the game.

As I try to banish my thoughts and find a restful state, I kick aside the cliché “Nobody’s perfect”. Instead, I look to my favorite author/activist/poet Maya Angelou for wisdom and strive to do better tomorrow.

 

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

 

 

Victory Scholar: Marritta Gillcrease
Present University: NUI Galway
US League: MAAC
Club/Community Partner: Galway Titans
Alma Mater: Rider University
Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland
 

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