“We rise by lifting each other.  “ TJ at the 30:00 mark , episode 376 of the hardwood hustle.My first year as a head coach, I had a junior and 2 sophomores who didn’t play much in games. In practice, they were the players who forced our starters to get better. They raised the energy level of every drill. They brought our team together by giving 100% in every chance they had. They were celebrated by every one of their teammates. I called the 3 of them the rising tide. Because a rising tide lifts all ships.

This is a reference, obviously, to how when ships are anchored in the harbor, as the tide changes from low to high, every ship rises with the tide. It’s not like some ships stay at 1 level while the others rise around it.

The forces that these 3 players created lifted the spirits and skill of every player around them.

My challenge for you - Who is your ‘tide lifter’ on your team, and do they know it? Do they know the importance of the role they are playing? Tell them!