Here are a few of my really quick thoughts...

- I think sports made a positive impact on me. Taught me how to deal with people, adversity, work ethic, etc. I don't think sports completely changed me, but I feel they had a positive improvement. I might not remember a word from my physics class or the name of the teacher, but I distinctly remember numerous situations in basketball. The things I learned had a lasting impression on me. I don't think it "changed" me but I do think I work a little harder and have more of a team attitude because of sports.

- As an employer in the business world other than just basketball, many of our best employees thrived in sports. When interviewing someone, if they showed work ethic in the past playing sports, that gives them bonus points. I don't exclusively look for sports people, but it does help their cause.

- All the "win" stuff at the youth level it true. It can be disgusting. I just talked with some friends about a local coach that started screaming at the other coach over a substitution issue. These are 9 year olds. The guy went absolutely nuts and everyone thought they would have to break up a fight. After things settled down the parents all demanded the coach be fired. He was and took his daughter to a different team. I know parents of players on that team. They were completely embarrassed by the situation.

- On a positive note, I'm seeing some great comments in email and on this website. I'm hearing coaches saying that they just want to help these players in the future. They are trying to be fair and teach lessons. They are teaching skills for the long run, not the short term. I truly believe that all our preaching is making a positive impact. There are some really great people out there that truly "get it". I don't know about you Coach Sar, but I feel like there are more educated youth coaches on this forum that there used to be. Granted it was pretty bad, but it seems a little better than it was.

Good thoughts Jeff,

I also think that people who played sports have an edge, they learned how to solve problems and work towards a common goal... and the big one, leadership skills.

I agree with seeing more educated youth coaches here - not seeing the guys that run his players for 2 hours just to help him make cuts.... people who truly want to help kids, not just in sports but helping them to grow up to be fine young men and women.

Maybe they are hearing the message that the experienced coaches are giving... and us " more mature " guys haha. The site gets better all the time, you and Joe should be very proud of how this is going. I'm proud to be part of it.

Not sure if this applies specifically to the question asked, but I think it pretains to what basketball can teach a player when approaching life.

As basketball players, we take on a great change when we step between the lines to compete on the court. We become people of focus, drive, and a strong desire to win. We fight through adversity and challenge. We are willing to stake that we are better than any that face us. We are basketball players.
Basketball teaches us how to win. It teaches us how to win in the most important game we play…life. It holds the valuable lessons that bring us to victory. Just as we can have a great day; we can also have a great game. But the truth is that no matter the game we have it is always a direct result of the effort we put into it. This is easy to see by those who consistently have great games have put more into their game. The same goes for life.
As basketball players we learn that we might not have the first, second, or third quarter but there is always a chance to win in the fourth. It teaches us that the only way to be successful with it is to be %90 mental and 10% physical.
Life demands for us to build skills to play at a high level in the same way that basketball does. Our overall game is similar to our character that plays a big part in how often we succeed. Every time we play we develop a plan of how we are going to win. As long as we execute that plan, we have a good chance of beating any team. This hold true when we set goals, make a plan to achieve them, and do the necessary work. This is why such amazing things have been created by man on this earth. They used the same principals.
Having a high basketball IQ is a valuable asset to have. It helps a player to understand what is happening in the game. Even more importantly it is helping the player anticipate and react to the move that is about to happen. This allows for turnovers, well played defensive stances, and easy scores.
The more a person develops their life IQ; they too can anticipate life’s next play and prepare themselves accordingly. This allows great things to be accomplished. A great young poet of the 90’s once said that “Life is a game to be played. Once one gets and understands the game and what the rules of the game are; then life is no longer a trick. It becomes the game to be played. Those who play do what they want to do while others do what they have to.”

Coach Sar, may i know that old tv show? I would like to know. I might watch that if there's a chance.