What Does Being a Senior Mean to You To me, being a senior means responsibility. As a senior, I am responsible for my actions as well as the entire team’s actions. As a senior, I expect the guys around me to respect me and the decisions I make, not because they are supposed to, but because I have earned that respect through four long years of hard work. Being a senior shows others that I have what it takes to make it through the grind of four long years of basketball. This kind of responsibility is not for everyone and I have seen guys come and go through the years that just didn’t make it through. Being a senior means I can say I did it, I made it through 4 (in my case 5) years when others did not. Being a senior is about leadership. Leadership is not something that can just be given to you. It is a learned behavior that becomes automatic over time. It is obtained through hard work, commitment and dedication, self preservation and much more. It means being an excellent example or role model for others who then WANT to follow you. As a senior, I want guys on the team to ask me questions or for advice on any situation whether it is on the floor, in the classroom or anything personal. Being a senior means I have the privilege to be a leader and role model for this team, this family, for one more year. Being a senior does not mean everything will just be given to me. It means that I have one more year to work harder than the year before. It is the last chance I have to show the future seniors what it takes to become a senior leader. I want to be able to look back on my college career and know that I put everything I had on and off the floor all the time. I want people to remember how much effort I put in to every play to get where I am today. I believe completing my senior year will allow these things to happen. Thanks for all the memories! Go V-Hawks! Matt Turba Senior I attended my first coaching clinic on October 3rd/4th at JustAGame Fieldhouse in the Wisconsin Dells. I had the privilege of listening to Mike Lee (Basketball Instructor), Coach Buzz Williams (Marquette), Coach Tod Kowalczyk (Toledo), Coach Steve Merfeld (Creighton), Coach Brian Wardle (Green Bay), Coach Matt Bollant (Illinois), Paul Hoover (Pro Shot System), Coach Drew Diener (Cardinal Stritch), and Coach Forrest Larson (Between Jobs). This was more than simply gathering notes on offensive/defensive systems, basketball drills, or basketball set plays. This was about learning from a group of people who are extremely passionate about what they do as coaches. Entering my 8th season as an assistant at Viterbo, I certainly understand the amount of hours it takes to coach at the collegiate level. I understand the ups and downs that are going to occur throughout the course of a season. Three Keys I Took Away From the Fall Clinic: 1) You are only as good as what you emphasize. - Have an identity and philosophy that fits your program and recruit players to your identity. 2) Love your players. - We can talk about all the hours coaches put in, however, we must understand that the players are working just as hard (or should be)! Show that you love them and they will respect that and play hard for you. 3) Stay Positive! - Something I continue to work at each year is staying positive. I am proud to admit I understood the work/life balance pretty early in my coaching career. I have a great family to wake up to and turn to at the end of the day! In closing, Thank You to all the coaches I had the privilege of talking to and learning from this past week. You opened my eyes to the great commitment, regardless of school size, location, or conference, that is the coaching profession. Have a great season! What Does Being a Senior Mean to You To me, being a senior means that there is one last chance to achieve what I couldn’t in my first three years. It is the final chance I have to show people what my seniors and I have accomplished in our time together. All the time in the gym over the years come down to one last year. Once this year is over, there is no going back, no more should have done this, and no what if’s. For these reasons alone, everything needs to be left on the floor. Being a senior means being a leader. In order to get to where we want to go, we need to get everyone on the same page with the same intensity. Our determination and will needs to be set through every person on our team along with the Viterbo community. The seniors can lead the team but our goals and dreams could never be accomplished alone. Cole Lewis Senior |
AuthorThe purpose of this Blog is to share thoughts and insights from Coach Ryan Thibodeau and the Archives
January 2015
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