The more busy I get, the more I tend to dig in and try to finish all my own things.

Yet as a leader/father/coach/pastor, I've always been reminded that I have to keep on sowing into the next generation, all the more when I am busy.

There is a limit to what one can do with our own hands, I am thrilled when I can do things myself. Yet these years I am learning a different satisfaction when I am able to "reproduce my life" in others.

Here's the point that I want you guys to ponder about - what do you want your boys to achieve?
A leader is not just somebody who leads people to do a certain task, a real leader reproduces his life in others. Here I do not mean a total replication, but certainly a leader cannot be leading if no one follows in even some parts of his life.

What do I seek to "pass on"/teach/coach my teams? Surely it must be the things that I value the most, the things I am most passionate about! People can catch a sincere conviction, they can also see through an action which is not really what a "leader" believes.

What am I passionate about? In basketball:

• I believe in a total game, an intelligent team play coupled with an all out effort and intentsity on the court. That's how I've always coached.
• I believe in integrity and honesty, discipline and diligence, resilience and perseverance.
• I believe that we must "DREAM-TEAM-FIGHT-WIN".
• I believe that basketball is but a platform to learning the most valuable lessons and experiences in life.

And I am proud (and humbled) to see many of these qualities in you guys.

So when you guys think about your goals, think about what you are most passionate about - the best things you have ever learned on the basketball court, things that you'll give up LAST, when someone points the gun at your head.

Simply put, the things you will most likely stand for in spite of opposition.

Keep it to one or two things. Do not worry about being idealistic, for this is but a journey in defining what your life will be.

Time and tide waits for no man. In the blink of an eye, 2 weeks of november have already come and gone. What do I want to achieve within these 2 months with Coach and Gerrard? I had better pen down my thoughts and have a clear goal in mind before this holidays slips away!

Gerrard has already touched on the aspect of basketball I find most valuable of all--teamwork. Or rather, to be more precise, the concept of being part of a team. The invisible bonds that are forged so strongly between players after going through years of blood sweat and tears together. The camaraderie on and off court. Yes, just like Gerrard, what I really want to see among the C boys would be that solid concept of team both on and off court. Thinking back at my own batchmates, I often feel nostalgic upon realization that I barely know the remaining 9 members that are no longer active. 20 years down the road, championships would be long forgotten, but the friendships formed by the C boys that last through all those years would be invaluable. So, next question I need to ask myself: In what way can I help guide them in this team building process?

This vision probably seems far-fetched for an "amateur coach" as there is no set of rules and steps to follow in building a strong team, but since we are in the position of seniors rather than authority to the C boys, perhaps Gerrard and I can have more effect on the juniors than I think.

Meanwhile, as for individually working with the C boys, my first assignment in mind would be Weixuan, especially since he lives in the west. The pointguards obviously had backcourt problems in the 7-11 match the other day, hopefully I can help Weixuan work things out in this aspect!

More posts to come.