Continually changing

Basketball is in full swing.  The Lady Dawgs are off to great start.  They are state ranked 21st and currently sit 2nd in District 8-6A with a 6-2 record.  The Dawgs are having some difficulty in district play after a stellar non-district start of 22-1.  They are currently 1-5 and are tied for 6th in district.  Both teams are having to make some adjustments as they begin the second round of district play.
Both the girls and boys basketball teams are battling to finish District 8-6A play as one of the top four teams to reach the playoffs.  As you know, District 8-6A is one of the toughest districts in central Texas.  It is enjoyable to watch both teams compete because of their competitive attitude.  Why are they so tenacious on the court?  I believe it is because of their leadership; the coaches.
Coaches provide reinforcement.  This comes with both success and failure. Participants learn in a dynamic environment from coaching techniques. Players become confident in their ability to make decisions. The more experience they have the better they are at making this transition. 
Great coaches continually evaluate themselves as well as their teams during the season. The ability to analyze yourself daily from a realistic perspective is critical for improvement. We are normally our harshest critics. The standards we set for ourselves should be set beyond our reach. Coaches, as well as players, need to strive for lofty goals, continually reassessing where they are in the process. 
Why do winning teams flourish throughout the season?  Could it be because the team continually is changing?  What worked yesterday should work tomorrow, correct?  No, it doesn’t work like that.  Teams continually adjust and grow throughout a season.   
In high school sports, coaches need to be able to adapt to the talent of their players.  I have witnessed so many coaches determined to be a passing or running offense in football, yet the talent was not conducive to what the coach desired.  On the other hand, teams are built around certain talent and then during the season, the talent changes.  A particular player may no longer be available and another player with different talents steps in the lineup.   
Remember the Fisher Brothers Company.  The Fisher Brothers Company built carriages during the horse drawn buggy days.  After the automobile was invented the transportation business changed.  Right in the midst of their horse buggy carriage success they decided to change.  They did not wait for the season to end and then start another year.  No, they changed in the middle of their greatest success because they saw what was in front of them.
It was almost overnight horse drawn carriages became a thing of the past!  What happened to the Fisher Brothers Company?  The company adapted. Other horse drawn buggy companies went bankrupt or out of business while the Fisher Brothers embarked on another line of manufacturing.  
Fisher Brothers started building chassis for auto manufacturer’s and distinguished themselves as the premier auto body manufacturer in the world.  Today, the Fisher family offspring’s are designing chassis for hybrid vehicles.  They are a prime example of what athletic teams have to do during the season.  Teams must continue to strive for greatness and make necessary changes as needed.  
Come out and watch the girls and boys basketball teams as they continue to strive for greatness.  Both teams continue to make changes, adapt and grow.  They are two fun groups to watch battle in their quest to make the state playoffs.   
Thought for the week, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”  Robert Burns.