Evel Knievel & Coaching

# 8 posting 2.27.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

The post-season brings us another message from Seashells and Balloons…..

There’s a little bit of Evel in Every Great Coach

It’s playoff time. Time for stacked sections, and 1-point upsets and the endless debate about who deserves what seed. You may be expecting a series of pithy inspirational stories from years gone by, or a couple of anecdotes about which teams deserve the most respect. Not today. I’m thinking about that star-spangled daredevil Evel Knievel. And how he’s a little like every great coach…especially during the playoffs.

Some of you may remember Evel Knievel from his daring stunts in the 70s. He made a living out of dreaming a motorcycle jump, planning for that jump, selling tickets to the jump, and most of the time landing that jump. Some were brilliant. And he would circle his bike back and look up at the ramp…..taking in the applause and ultimately thanking his team and his powerful bike for getting him there. And some jumps were messy, cartwheeling flops. He would vow to retire after a crash. Or it was all he could do to muster a thumbs up from the stretcher.

The basketball playoffs bring out those same thrills and spills. And inspire the best performances in the unlikeliest places. Nobody knows that more than the good coaches. The great coach says believe in each other, and we can do anything. Those coaches know how to prepare, and in the end they know that behind every great jump, there is always a little bit of magic. Evel says “ I did everything by the seat of my pants. That’s why I got hurt so much”. The great coaches inspire their teams to do what can’t be done. To push their players to the brink. And we hear the same in Evel’s words: “A Roman general in the time of Caesar had a motto - "If it is possible, it is done. If it is impossible... it will be done." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I live by”.

Evel inspired thousands of kids to go outside and try their own jumps on their banana bikes. And a great coach creates a community full of little girls practicing their shot, working on their defense, all so they can put on the jersey of the great teams before them.

If things go right this year, our team will face their own version of the Snake River Canyon, or the Wembley Stadium double-decker bus jump. They will be prepared. They will be ready. They will follow their coach to the end of the ramp, look down with courage and start revving their engines. They could make it with room to spare. Or they could go down in flames. I am betting on the former. Because where there’s a coach who is willing to believe and take the leap, there are 15 or so players willing to take that same leap with him. I’ll be watching and cheering. I hope you will be too. When there’s a coach with a little bit of Evel Knievel in him, it’s easy to believe that any glorious dream can happen.

Good Luck Teams!

Thanks again Seashells & Balloons.

Next up: Later tonight with a deuce Out & About