Training as a way of Life

I've worn many hats down thru the years; athlete, parent, executive, teacher, fan, and coach. 

 Consequently I have little difficulty in addressing the subject: Training as a way of Life.

 

Attitude is the key.

 First,  you've gotta believe that "if it's gonna be, it starts with me." 

 Assume responsibility for your own success.

Second, motivation comes from within, not without: 

 

Don't worry about what everybody else is doing and/or  saying. 

And third, never be satisfied with what you did yesterday:

Tomorrow's challenger knows who you are.

Thats what I taught my children; thats how we trained. 

Their friends were welcome to join in, or, had to wait until after practice.

How did my ideas and beliefs affect them?

  

 Lets look and see.

I'd like to think that they got their fashion sense from their mother, and their good looks from me.

[Since I focused on the boys in discussing Wrestling; I'll focus on Court here.]

   

Court was trained to do most things with a blind-fold on; aside from "pin the tail on the donkey", she learn to dribble, shoot, and pass the basketball with blinders on:the objective was to capitalize on that fraction of a second, that the defender hadn't even thought of. 

  

Courtney Leigh_2004

  That look of determination has been on her face ever since I can remember: When she was a little girl (4 or 5), she use to suit up, and run the hills with me: Rain, snow, or sunshine.

 On the basketball court I referred to her as the "little general", because she use to call the plays before I could diagram them (in the huddle):

Of course that impressed her teamates, and before long they were listening to her instead of me.

This is how we looked in Middle School (1991) : #12 Mary Faulkner, #5 Debbie Duber, #13 Missylou, #11 Gwen Shire, #10 Maggie Reedy, Yours Truly, #3 Murphy Culpepper 

Their record was 23 wins, 2 losses; 4 of the 6, eventually, went on to compete on the varsity team for Lake Mary High School. All 4 attended and graduated college. 

 

95/95 LMHS: Can you locate them in the team photo, taken after winning the Checkers Tournament at Lake Region:

Notice the center of the photo; Debbie & Courtney kneeling, Maggie bending over with hand on Court's shoulder, and Murphy (#25) standing.

 

Pictured here with son Deshawn: She now has a "lil blue devil" of her own to teach the ropes.