The "333" of life

I used to give a talk about living in the “333”. What does that mean? I posed that question to my team one day thinking there would be absolutely no way they would know what I was talking about. I thought I would get blank stares in trying to answer my question. Kind of like last year in using some analogy I said “if you come ask me sometime I’ll tell you the secret of Coach K’s success.” That has come from studying Coach Mike Krzyzewski for a long time, working his camp and watching him conduct practices and seeing his team play live on TV. Surprisingly none of the guys asked me the question. College kids amaze me at their interest and their disinterests.
Anyway, I asked the question “I live my life in the 333, so do any of you know what that means? “ Within seconds Jeff Sullivan, probably the smartest player on the floor I have ever coached said quickly “That’s how many days of the year you don’t have games.” Jeff is by far the quietest on our team so for him to speak up was interesting.
Years ago while coaching at Faulkner University the NAIA put in a rule that you had a game limitation of 32 games (it is now 30 games and 2 scrimmages). The point is that as a coach we get judged by what we do those 32 days (or nights). For coaches it is not what happens on the 32 days that really makes the difference. It’s what you do in preparation the 333 other days. I have to make the most out of the 333 days in preparation and planning to try and be successful those 32 days.
Professional teams and most big time college athletic teams are about one thing; Winning. Anyone that says different has not been at that level. Graduation rates, having good kids with character representing the community are all factors in the job, but not whether you get to keep your job. You keep your job at that level is based on you wins and losses. Not only is it about winning, but win now.
Not being able to implement a 5 year makes it tough on coaches to really build a program with a strong foundation. One of the greatest coaches in any sport at any time was John Wooden. Coach Wooden coached basketball at UCLA and won 11 national championships in 13 years. He did not win his first championship until he was 53 years old. I am glad UCLA was patient with John Wooden.
In today’s society win and you are king, lose and it’s like you have the plague. Like Gene Hackman (playing the part of Coach Dale) says in the movie Hoosiers, “Some people would kill to live as a king for a day.” Even with the ups and downs I find my balance in trying to take care of the 333. Usually if my teams plays poorly I did something wrong in the 333. If we play well it is because our guys put in the time and work by preparing
I heard someone say the other day while listening to a book on tape, “Are you there to lighten people’s load or to place more of a burden on them?” If I don’t spend time in the 333 in prayer, reading God’s word, encouraging, helping, listening, being empathetic , hearing what others say, my 32 usually does not go well. What is your 333? What is the time you have to think, plan, read, pray, prepare for the game of life?
With two teenagers I had the comforting words of “I hate you!” from one and “I hate this family!” from the other recently. Huh, kind of what I wanted to hear and used to dream of having when they were cute little toddlers. Thankfully my wife does not get rattled and stays calm. My being impatient, nervous and anxious has been calmed because my wife lives with such peace. That was one of those “game time (32)” moments. It was the time I had spent in the 333 of daily praying for my kids that I didn’t explode or overreact. Now don’t get me wrong I over react my fair share of times. This was one of those moments that I could take and move on.
It is highly probable raising four kids we may hear those comforting and encouraging phrases from our kids again. Since we are not giving our kids everything they want we will face the issue again. My point is that what you do in your “333” time is to get you ready for when the rubber meets the road. For when the game of life tips off and you are ready. I know 32 games we have each year will come and go. The constant prep time in the “333” will determine how well I prepare our young men for life. Any coach will tell you we have about 10% of our games that just come down to who may have the ball last, who has the last at bat, or who makes the half court shot.
I encourage you to take time in the preparation of life by reading God’s word, praying for others and to have a listening ear as well. Steven Covey says in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: “Seek first to understand then to be understood.” When I first read his book when it came out I did not get the concept, but since I have studied it more and tried to apply it more often it has changed the way I look at situations.
Thankfully I am at a place now, Belhaven College, which places solid emphasis on the “333”. They want to win, but our goal is to compete and then to help our young men and women grow spiritually, academically and to get the most out of their athletic ability. We are encouraged to do our absolute best, but not at the expense of anything that would cause our school to viewed in a bad light or to go against the moral compass of the school.
I encourage you to keep whatever is the “333” in your life. The time you have to prepare for the big moments. The times you get wisdom and you can hear God’s voice on how to handle any situation. This may be your chance to talk with someone on handling a difficult problem that looks as if there is no way out. Your “333” can be anytime you have to prepare for the daily grind of life. If you never have time to spend in preparation it is hard to be at your best. If a team never gets to practice and only plays the games there is not enough time to correct mistakes. It takes time and concentrated effort to work on areas where you are weak and on issues that need to be resolved.

I know for me and my team if we don’t spend the right time and right effort in the “333” then it will definitely show once the game begins. It is the same for you. Whatever time you spend in the preparation of life it will show in the game of life when the ball is in your court.

Today as our team gets ready for another season I told them that this is why they do all the crazy stuff they do to play college basketball.
This is why they lift weights when they have worked a full day of work in the summer. This is why they lift weights just after coming off the practice floor after a tough practice. This is why when they play so much in the summer there shoes become soggy from the sweat. This is why when their head hurts so bad from working out so hard that they feel dizzy. This is why when they are so hot, thirsty and hungry they get that need for sugar. This is why when they can’t stand there own smell in the car after driving home from a workout. This is why when they had one of those days that they decided to work on their game and their friends went swimming or went to a movie. This is why when they decided late at night to go the gym while their friends went out on the town. This is why when they don’t feel like their coach will ever give them a break that they want to quit. This is why when they ache and have a hard time getting up in the morning or off the couch because they have that pain in their back or their knees that make them feel 20 years older than they really are.This is why they play the game because they absolutely love it and can not get enough basketball.
Your “333” could be anything. This is why we do what we do. As coaches why we work crazy hours and push ourselves and our teams to be the best. I have to live in the “333” as a husband, parent, coach, son, brother, friend. Even writing those I realize how much I fail in each area. I hope I can be there when the game starts. Practice prepares you for great things, but there is nothing like game experience.
As we get ready for another season please pray for us as coaches and players. I tell my team there will definitely be two things that happen this year. 1. We will have some up moments. 2. We will have some down moments. Every year I have coached and played that has happened. It will more than likely happen again.
Here is to our “333” getting ready to face both of those moments.