Brian made the varsity basketball team as a sophomore last year, which rarely ever happens at Dover High School. Not only did he make the team, but he was the starting forward, and led the team in rebounding and finished second on the team in scoring. That was last season. Now, as a junior, he knew this was his year to take over the team. He would have college coaches coming to watch his games, and recruiters would be calling to speak with him. If he continued to play well and improve, this would most likely mean a free college education for Brian - and as his father, I was all for that!
But Brian started off the season playing well below his standards. It seemed like he lacked concentration and motivation, and his play was unusually slow and sloppy. He still was able to score like he did last year, but he was getting by using his pure physical size and strength most of the time instead of his talents. He was still good - but he had the potential to be great ... he just needed a little fire to get there!
I remembered back when I was in high school. I was a football player. Whenever I felt that I needed some motivation before games, I always listened to speeches on tape by my favorite football coaches - Knute Rockne, Vince Lombradi, Bill Walsh. After listening to those guys in the locker room, I would get out on the field and fight my ass off for my team!
And then it hit me - if that worked for me, then it sure as hell should work for Brian too!
I knew that he liked to listen to music on his mp3 before basketball games and in the locker at halftime, so I downloaded an audio book online called "Motivational Speeches For Athletes By Professional Coaches" onto Brian's mp3 player. The next day, an hour before the start of his next game, I told him to listen to it. After the book finished, he looked at me and simply nodded his head. He didn't say a word, but I could tell that it worked.
Brian went out that night and scored a school record 47 points. After the game, he thanked me for giving him that audio book. He said it was exactly what he needed to motivate him and get him to play up to his abilities.
Now, several months later, Brian has maintained his awesome play, and he has had Villanova, Seton Hall, and Rutgers all come knocking on our door!
