Basketball and Career Choices: Are You a Starting Point Guard?
Well, now that the NBA Finals is currently in full swing, I am having a serious flash back! Remember the movie “Love and Basketball” starring Sanaa Latham and that absolutely handsome Omar Epps? Remember how you cheered when Sanaa finally got her man in the end? She never gave up and she kept on fighting for what she truly wanted—her true love and her desire to play professional basketball. The game of basketball is really about the trials and tribulations of everyday life dealing with friends, family, and yes our career. It doesn’t matter if you work in corporate America or a chemistry laboratory, if we want to win at anything—you have to play the game.
Ideally, you shouldn’t have to play the game to be successful. Why can’t you just be a good team player, work hard, and be rewarded for your efforts? Maybe you don’t wish to be a starting point guard. Maybe you just want to come off the bench and score a few points and help your team win! As African American professional women you already know that being on a team is never going to be enough for us. We have to show up to practice early because being on time is late. We have to stay late after practice and work on aspects of our game because being talented is not enough. Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.
The reality is the moment you throw up an airball, there is little to no forgiveness! You will go directly to the bench and unfortunately, maybe even off the team. Yes, you will have to deal with fans throwing beer and popcorn on you, and the referees making the wrong calls which allows your opponent to go to the free throw line more than you think is necessary. And what happens if you say something to the referee? You will get a technical foul—if you get two, you are out of the game. Eventually, you will be known as the player who is leading the league in technical fouls. Who in the world wants that label? Well, maybe Detroit Piston Forward Rasheed Wallace.
The take home message is if you come up with a solid defensive strategy, you should come out a winner. Defense is important as witnessed by the Denver Nuggets making it to the Western Conference Finals because they started playing defense thanks to the addition of veteran point guard Chauncey Billups. Defense is an attitude centered around collaboration. It takes all five players on a team to work together to get the job done. Keep in mind that in order for effective collaborations to work, practice is important. Remember Allen Iversion’s tirade during a news conference, “We are talking about practice!”
How can you develop a solid defensive strategy for your career?
1. Make connections with people that have achieved career goals similar to yours that you trust and ask them to be one of your mentors. You need more than one because your mentors are people who have a lot going on in their lives just like you, and if your one mentor is having a bad day, he/she is more likely to not be attentive to you and your needs. You also need more than one mentor because people have strengths in a variety of areas. One mentors opportunity area can be another mentors strengths.
2. Write out realistic short-term and long-term goals and stick to them. The process of writing your goals with a pen on paper makes you accountable to yourself. Then post those goals in a place that you are forced to look at them everyday.
3. Seek out opportunities for growth and professional development. Attending regional meetings or conferences are great opportunities to meet leading experts in your field. It increases your technical mastery and helps to establish your credibility in your field of interest which puts you on a path to be a leading expert in your field.
4. Learn to accept constructive criticism. None of us are perfect, and there are elements about us that need to be tweaked. If you have mentors that you trust, they will bring the message to you in a way that you can hear it, receive it, and create a strategic plan to address.
We have all heard the old adage, “work smarter, not harder”, now is the time to use it. We look forward to seeing you as you rise to the top. Remember to lift as you climb. There is enough room for all of us up there.
Ideally, you shouldn’t have to play the game to be successful. Why can’t you just be a good team player, work hard, and be rewarded for your efforts? Maybe you don’t wish to be a starting point guard. Maybe you just want to come off the bench and score a few points and help your team win! As African American professional women you already know that being on a team is never going to be enough for us. We have to show up to practice early because being on time is late. We have to stay late after practice and work on aspects of our game because being talented is not enough. Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.
The reality is the moment you throw up an airball, there is little to no forgiveness! You will go directly to the bench and unfortunately, maybe even off the team. Yes, you will have to deal with fans throwing beer and popcorn on you, and the referees making the wrong calls which allows your opponent to go to the free throw line more than you think is necessary. And what happens if you say something to the referee? You will get a technical foul—if you get two, you are out of the game. Eventually, you will be known as the player who is leading the league in technical fouls. Who in the world wants that label? Well, maybe Detroit Piston Forward Rasheed Wallace.
The take home message is if you come up with a solid defensive strategy, you should come out a winner. Defense is important as witnessed by the Denver Nuggets making it to the Western Conference Finals because they started playing defense thanks to the addition of veteran point guard Chauncey Billups. Defense is an attitude centered around collaboration. It takes all five players on a team to work together to get the job done. Keep in mind that in order for effective collaborations to work, practice is important. Remember Allen Iversion’s tirade during a news conference, “We are talking about practice!”
How can you develop a solid defensive strategy for your career?
1. Make connections with people that have achieved career goals similar to yours that you trust and ask them to be one of your mentors. You need more than one because your mentors are people who have a lot going on in their lives just like you, and if your one mentor is having a bad day, he/she is more likely to not be attentive to you and your needs. You also need more than one mentor because people have strengths in a variety of areas. One mentors opportunity area can be another mentors strengths.
2. Write out realistic short-term and long-term goals and stick to them. The process of writing your goals with a pen on paper makes you accountable to yourself. Then post those goals in a place that you are forced to look at them everyday.
3. Seek out opportunities for growth and professional development. Attending regional meetings or conferences are great opportunities to meet leading experts in your field. It increases your technical mastery and helps to establish your credibility in your field of interest which puts you on a path to be a leading expert in your field.
4. Learn to accept constructive criticism. None of us are perfect, and there are elements about us that need to be tweaked. If you have mentors that you trust, they will bring the message to you in a way that you can hear it, receive it, and create a strategic plan to address.
We have all heard the old adage, “work smarter, not harder”, now is the time to use it. We look forward to seeing you as you rise to the top. Remember to lift as you climb. There is enough room for all of us up there.
Hi (My Beautiful Niece) Sibrina,
ReplyDeleteI love this article. When I grow up I am going to be focused - just like you! ;-P! With the economy in it's present shape all of us can 'take a lesson' in love and basketball. Pushing foward is always a good idea.
Way to go Bri! I look forward to future blogs.
ReplyDeleteMake it happen chic!
ReplyDelete