Tale of Two Cities

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way" - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

In coaching, seasons end with either hope or hopelessness. We take pride in why we succeeded or prejudice about why we did not.

Legendary coach John Wooden, winner of ten NCAA basketball championships, said the two most important words in coaching were "love" and "teaching." Coaches are fortunate teachers, as our students want to be in our classroom and care about the subject. An English teacher from the University of Alabama watched Bear Bryant lecture his players and noted that if his students paid as much attention, he would teach for free.

The best coaches teach and inspire. They put their players first. They combine passion, humility, thankfulness, and servant leadership to create unity. They have a vision, excel in communication and people skills, have high character, and competence to emphasize the fundamentals. They have the flexibility to change with the times, and the wisdom to understand the vital link between potential and performance is encouragement. Their players succeed on and off the court because the players cannot accept anything less.

Congratulations to the winter sport champions - gymnastics, girls' hockey, girls' indoor track and boys' basketball. And continued thanks to all our student-athletes who sacrifice to represent Melrose with distinction and to the committed coaches who make that happen.