(This post was originally titled, Husker Chant, and was posted on September 10, 2009.)
 
While I am in no way a Husker fan or supporter, the Head Coach of my son's 5th/6th grade football team is a Husker fanatic. Complete with the Tommy Frazier reference on his license plates. (Kids, go google Tommy Frazier and Nebraska football and you will understand.)
 
The coach introduced a pre-game ritual that he borrowed from his beloved Huskers. It is a powerful message to send to our nation's future about development, fairness, and sportsmanship. It doesn't ask for an advantage… just an opportunity. A chance to grow and develop to allow them to compete. It basically talks about the right way to win and if you lose, you still need to keep things in perspective and thank your opponent for competing and congratulate them on their victory.
 
Typically, the Coach would lead, and the team would repeat the line. The first paragraph was spoken solemnly and with respect. The last paragraph is shouted with emotion enabling the young players to feed off it and as they gather in the huddle with the speech rising to the climax, the last sentence is emphasized with an exclamation point after each word. Then a simple breakdown of "(Team Name) on 3" and they would hit the field.
 
This year, a couple of our "seniors" (a.k.a. 6th graders) have taken upon themselves to lead this ritual at the end of practice, assuming the leadership role that had previously been performed by the head coach. Another sign of the development of not only young players, but young citizens that understand the power of leadership.
 
THE HUSKER PRAYER
Dear Lord, the battles we go through life,
We ask for a chance that’s fair.
A chance to equal our stride,
A chance to do or dare.
If we should win,
Let it be by the code,
With our heads and our honor held high.
If we should lose,
We will stand by the road
And cheer as the winners go by.
 
Day by Day!
We get better and better!
A team that can't be beat!
WON'T! BE! BEAT!
 
Our young people are always watching, learning, and growing. They are nourished by what they are fed and what they consume. Each day we have opportunities to provide “healthy” options that will help them grow into successful, well-balanced, contributors to our society. Finding those moments to interject life lessons and build excitement for those around them have lasting impacts Beyond Today.

Most people are familiar with the English proverb, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I have written about this topic several times with the most direct being Taking Action is Key to Breaking out of the Planning Loop. In these cases, I typically am talking about achieving a goal or finishing a project that is impactful to you and your company/family.
 
Today, I’m looking at the Impact you make in relationships with others, whether coworkers, family, friends, or complete strangers. Those moments in time where a simple gesture or word can create a ripple across multiple people. This anomaly became known as the butterfly effect based on the observations and writings of Edward Lorenz.
 
I am that “good intentions” guy. I think about sending a card to someone during times of grief - but I never do. I think I should reach out and give a person a call or text congratulating them on the promotion - but I don’t. I have these great intentions, these feelings inside of me that I know I should act on but because of fear, laziness, or anxiety, I don’t. 
 
The book Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute talks in detail about Self-Betrayal in a very relatable story format. It was a punch in the gut when I read the book. The authors define Self-Betrayal as “an act contrary to what I feel I should do for another.” The book goes on to state that when you betray yourself, you start to look at the world in a way that justifies your actions/feelings or your self-betrayal. Then, when you start to see the world in a self-justified way, your view of reality becomes distorted. Wow. That’s me. A guy who thinks he is a good friend but in reality, tends to fall short of meeting my expectations. I intend to be a good friend, but I get busy and justify why I don’t reach out, stay in touch and follow-thru with what I know I should do.
 
I bring this up to encourage you to read the 3 books from the Arbinger Institute. They talk about Outward vs Inward mindsets. In the book The Outward Mindset, they write “...someone with an outward mindset holds himself accountable both for his own actions and performance, and for his impact on others actions and performance.” When I went back and re-read the highlighted portions of the book to support this post, I was blown away how my One Word for the year, IMPACT, was so prevalent throughout the book. 
 
I saw first-hand in October of 2021 how the willingness to put yourself out there can have a positive impact on others. A coworker of mine was feeling stressed and struggling at work. I was at a conference in St. Louis and had exchanged some texts and emails during the day.  The frustration was understandable and very evident in our communication.  On my way home, I decided to make the call (yes, I actually took ACTION instead of just thinking about it!) and we talked. I shared my perspective and feedback that I had received from others on the value this employee brought to the company.  He thanked me and I was happy that I finally chose to act instead of intending to act.
 
The next day, my coworker and I were talking when he asked me to shut the door. He proceeded to thank me and the sincerity in his voice was evident. It wasn’t easy for him, and it wasn’t easy for me to receive it either. But at that moment, the power of sharing oneself was never more evident to me. Seeing the way it made him feel and in turn how I felt was very powerful.
 
Two days later, during a Teams video meeting, I received a chat message from a different co-worker. He shared fond memories from the early days of working together in the company. Unbeknownst to him, that was exactly what I needed at that moment in time as I was struggling with my own positivity and mindset. I sincerely thanked him for reaching out and sharing and honestly, I probably made him a little uncomfortable as I’m sure he couldn’t comprehend the IMPACT those messages had on me. If my coworker, two days earlier, had not shown the heartfelt appreciation, I probably would have blown off the comments with a funny response or some thumbs up. But knowing how it made me felt, I knew I had to show this person the same courtesy and respect.
 
German philosopher Friderich Nietzche said “A ‘thing’ is the sum of its effects.” The effect of taking action instead of just intending to take action has a tremendous IMPACT on the three people in those two different interactions. Who else was impacted by the ripple of reaching out, choosing to share a little bit of yourself and making sure that your IMPACT is felt Beyond Today.

When you go outside with the basketball to improve your game are you practicing or shooting around? Do you realize that there is a difference? For the average player or for the recreational player, nope, not really a difference. For the great players...well, there is a huge difference!
 
To help clarify, let's define the two activities. Shooting around is just what the words mean: you go out to the court, and you start shooting around. Typically, you don't have a plan of activities, an expected outcome or time limit. Your main purpose is just to put the ball into the basket and enjoy yourself in the process. Hey, this is a lot of fun and probably describes most kids playing basketball today.
 
Now, when I say practice, I am talking about practicing as an individual like you practice with the team. There should be a "practice plan" just like most good coaches have in place before their practice. They have drills, times, and goals for why each drill is being performed. You can do the same thing when you are practicing basketball alone. What type of drills will you work on today? Will you just shoot baskets, or will you mix in ball handling and conditioning? How many shots will you take? Left-handed? Right-handed? Post moves? Free throws? 3 pointers?
 
Let's be honest, practices are typically not as fun as shooting around which is why, as kids, it is important to do both! One day, just shoot around for 30 minutes or an hour. Play a game in your mind where you hit the game winning shot against Kobe and the Lakers to win the NBA title 98 to 97. Enjoy playing the game and work on your moves. Play at game speed. Then the next day, go to work. Put the time in on the little things, the fundamentals, that will make you a better player. That will separate you from your competition. Set goals for shots made and then give yourself a reward or punishment (push-ups or sprints) when you don't meet those goals. Combine your drills to keep things from getting boring and allow you to work on multiple aspects at one time. Perform the drills that you do at team practice or your individual workouts using a "defender" (a.k.a. trashcan, chair, etc.,) and then explode for a lay-up, power drive, or jump shot. Do this from multiple spots on the court.
 
You have probably heard the saying that somebody somewhere is practicing basketball and when you meet and all things are even, that person will win. Will you be that person? I use a saying with my team, "Practice hard. Play hard." This is our break from the huddle and a mantra that I use to challenge my players to improve their game and to practice at game speed...not just shoot around. The courts are full of kids who shoot around and only shoot around. Great players practice. Will you be great?