Those Who Stay Will Be Champions

During the 2012-2013 basketball season the Clinton Lady Maroons reached an all time low in terms of the number of participants. Despite the amount of recent success the numbers have shown a steady decline. What began with numbers in the 20's has decreased to only 14 active players this past season. On senior night, we celebrated the four year career of ONE player. Some people in the community have said that I'm driving the program into the ground. Some people don't want me around any longer. I used to lose sleep at night trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, and what I could do to reverse this trend. What I've discovered is that a culture of winning in the game of basketball can't sustain numbers for the sake of numbers. The saying, "only the strong survive," seems appropriate for our situation.

Those who graduate as a Lady Maroon Basketball player are the ones who show two characteristics. These kids are the ones who demonstrate selflessness and toughness. If you are selfless you want what's best for your teammates; not what's best for you. You ask yourself on a daily basis, what can I donate to my teammates today? How much more of myself can I give away? We truly believe the more we give the more we receive. I try to show my selflessness by showing up to as many of my players activities as possible. Whether it's basketball, volleyball, softball, etc...I want to show them I care about them and everything they do. The basketball season in our day and age is an ongoing endeavor. It's a long, grueling, and taxing season. It's one that begins in the fall with open gyms, continues into the spring with more open gyms, and carries on through June with up to 25 contact days. The coaches critique and hold players accountable for every action, every repetition, on and off the court. Our motto could be described as "with order comes efficiency, and with efficiency comes success." 

Jay Bilas recently released a book entitled "Toughness" that has been on the best seller list. I mentioned toughness earlier in the article as being one of the characteristics needed to continue as a Lady Maroon basketball player. Some people see toughness as being intimidating. We disagree with those people. Our version of toughness requires a disciplined athlete, with great character, and a positive attitude on a daily basis. Here is a list of basketball specific "toughness" requirements for our program as described by Jay Bilas.    

"The tougher our standards, the deeper our commitment."

 1. Set great screens. (Selfless players get teammates open.)

 2. Cut hard. (Lazy cuts won't get you or teammates open. Lazy cuts won't make it.) 

 3. Talk your job. (Be alert w/ active voice, we communicate, we embrace one another.)

 4. Jump to the ball. (We stay disciplined on defense. It's what we do.)

 5. Don't get screened. (If you're getting screened you're not playing hard enough.)

 6. Two hands up. (Perfect close outs. No exceptions.)

 7. Get on the floor. (We sacrifice our body for Clinton on every loose ball.)

 8. Don't get split. (Defense is not negotiable. You get in your gap for your teammate.)

 9. Run the floor (Everyone sprints. Tough players get easy baskets.)

10. Play so hard you have to come out. (Tough players don't pace themselves.)

11. Take responsibility for your teammates. (Put them first. Don't let them fail.)

12. Get to your teammate first. (Tough players help teammates up off the floor.)

13. Take a charge. (You are required to put your body on the line for Clinton.) 

14. Finish plays. (Block out and fetch; everyone rebounds to exit the defensive possession.)

15. Throw yourself into defense. (Value yourself by your defense; not your points.) 

16. Take coaching the right way. (Tough players never make excuses or need to be right.)

17. Show strength in your body language. (Chin up, head up, we're winners not whiners.)

18. Catch and face. (Get to boss on every catch. Be disciplined and tough.) 

19. Concentrate. (Every possession is important. Do your job on every play.)

20. It's not your shot; it's our shot. (Get the best shot for Clinton on every possession.)

21. Next play. (The only play you can control is the present. Move forward.)

22. Make every game important. (Tough players treat each game as a championship.)

23. Get better every day. (Tough players try to be better than they were yesterday.)

If you think you exhibit selflessness and toughness, and you are considering becoming a Lady Maroon basketball player, please view the promotional video below. We are "Winning Championships, Developing Champions."

2013-14 LADY MAROONS PROMO VIDEO

UNLEASH THE POWER. EXPERIENCE THE TRADITION.