The chapter on communication was an excellent check on myself.

As a pastor and a coach, there are no lack of opportunities for me to be speaking and steering the people from a position of leadership. So the 4 points that were given were a timely check.

1. Simplicity of message - I tend to get caught here because I reflect a lot and thus tend to speak about the thought processes that I've gone through. Sometimes less reflective people get lost when I communicate.
2. See the person - Here's where I get caught again because of deep reflection. Much as i am aware that I get caught in my thoughts, it's not something easy to overcome.
3. Conviction - People generally comment that I am mostly passionate in my beliefs and in the things I do. Correspondingly, people do comment that I am pretty "intense".
4. Application - I need to solicit more action-responses rather than reflection-responses.

You guys give me feedback too!

"The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader" has turned out to be one of the most insightful reads I've had in quite a while and I've no doubt that these insights will indeed aid me in becoming the person others will want to follow. Just the first 3 chapters of this book have already proven to be a handful to digest, but also implies that much learning will take place in the weeks to come! I chose to read 1 chapter each morning the past 3 days, reflecting on and internalising the content as the day progressed.

Chapter 1 - Character

Character has always been a priority to me. I've always thought of myself as someone with integrity and values. Not perfect, but holding good character nonetheless. My takeaway from this chapter is about the importance of unwavering character and sticking to one's word. Nobody would want to follow someone with flawed character. As a captain or as a mentor to the juniors, I guess that the best way to impart values and good character is by exemplifying it myself.

Chapter 2 - Charisma

Charisma definitely seems a tough quality to master, though I guess the toughness is proportional to the usefulness. My aims on improving in this area for now would firstly include consciously being optimistic in any situation as well as cutting out any moodiness that may arise, especially when I get frustrated. From a coaching point of view, this chapter serves as a reminder to always see the good in every player, not just their flaws and mistakes."Putting a '10' on Every Person's Head".

Chapter 3 - Commitment

I like the heading for this chapter that summarizes the whole chapter: "Commitment: It separates Doers from Dreamers". "Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day". This chapter was rather thought provoking, and I still cannot think of how to instil commitment even in myself. I realised that pure effort is still far away from true commitment. I made it a goal 3 weeks back to hit 60 three-pointers everyday on non-training days, but realised that even though I followed through on many days, somehow I would always fall short of the "everyday" mark, whether it is because of adjustments in my schedule or oversleeping in the morning. I guess I would need to be able to fulfill a small commitment like this one if I want to truly commit myself to larger things in life.

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.

Start of a Journey

This is meant to be a journal of our experiences together as Coach and Aspiring Coaches.

People coach for different reasons, some for the honours, some for the experience and some for the relationships. Others coach for a second chance to re-live precious memories from the past. Yet others coach as a means to achieve unfulfilled personal dreams in the lives of others.

Whatever reasons it may be, we can all admit that we are less than perfect and thus our motives may not be entirely pure and altruistic. The key is reflection and awareness, because our players value honesty and integrity rather than perfection (from us).

Which is pretty important for coaches (to reflect upon too), so that we will not expect perfection out of our players, but rather an effort to the best of their abilities.

John Wooden the famous coach from UCLA says,

"Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

So what do you want to achieve out of this 2 months together?