高校の頃に使っていたフリーメールのフォルダを整理していた時に見つかりました。
めちゃくちゃ懐かしい。
内容は、僕が2004年にニュージーランドでの全国大会に出場した時に、当時のヘッドコーチのBrianからチーム全員に送信されたCoach Kの引用(quote)。
Coach Brianはquoteを使うのがとても上手く、チームが落ちていた時期や試合でミスした選手など一人一人にねぎらいの言葉をかけるのがとても上手かった。
また試合前など戦う前に選手を盛り上げるのが上手く、常に刺激を受けていた僕の最初の外人バスケットボールヘッドコーチだった。
そんな全国大会前の刺激的なCoach Kのquoteはこれだ。
GOING INTO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT, I WILL ASK OUR GROUP HOW MANY TEAMS FEEL THAT THEY CAN WIN IT ALL.
SOME WILL RESPOND, ‘ALL THE TEAMS’.
OTHERS WILL SAY, ‘WELL, HALF THE TEAMS’.
‘NO GUYS, I’LL REPLY, ‘HOW MANY TEAMS REALLY, TRULY BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN THIS TOURNAMENT?’
AND THE ANSWERS WILL BE VARIED: ‘EIGHT, FIVE, THREE, TWO?’
‘FELLAS, THERE ARE PROBABLY LESS THAN A HANDFUL OF TEAMS WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN IT ALL. MOST DON’T BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN.
SOME ARE JUST HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN SELECTED. AND THEY SHOULD BE. A 17-13 TEAM SHOULD BE THRILLED TO HAVE MADE IT TO THE BIG DANCE. AND THEY’LL HAVE A LOT OF FUN JUST BEING THERE, JUST COMPETING. THERE’LL BE OTHER TEAMS WHO HAVE THE GOAL OF MAKING IT TO THE SWEET SIXTEEN OR TO THE ELITE EIGHT. OTHERS WILL HOPE AND DREAM THAT THEY CAN MAKE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR. BUT MOST OF THE TEAMS WILL NOT BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN IT ALL.
THEN I WILL PAUSE IN MY REMARKS TO THE TEAM SO THAT I MAKE CERTAIN EVERY ONE OF THE PLAYERS IS LOOKING ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE.
‘GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE TEAMS WHO BELIEVE WE CAN WIN IT ALL,’ I’LL TELL THEM. ‘IT’S TRUE WE BELONG IN THE TOURNAMENT. WE’VE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE A HIGH SEED BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE PLAYED DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. ALL OUR HARD WORK HAS PAID OFF. BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN SIMPLY BELIEVING WE BELONG IS BELIEVING WE CAN WIN.’
THEN I WILL CAUTION THE TEAM ABOUT TAKING WINNING FOR GRANTED. THEY WILL BE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE, AS ALL THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES MAY BE ALREADY SAYING THAT DUKE IS GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR. BECAUSE WE’VE HAD SUCCESS IN THE PAST, THERE’S A TENDENCY SIMPLY TO ASSUME THAT WE’LL HAVE SUCCESS AGAIN.
‘GUYS, ONE OF THE WORST THINGS ANYBODY CAN DO IS ASSUME,’
I’LL SAY TO THE TEAM. ‘I THINK FOOLS ASSUME’. IF PEOPLE HAVE REALLY GOT IT TOGETHER, THEY NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING. THEY BELIEVE, THEY WORK HARD, AND THEY PREPARE – BUT THEY DON’T ASSUME.
‘ALL YEAR LONG, I’VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT RESPECTING YOUR OPPONENT – ALL YEAR LONG, WHETHER WE’RE PLAYING SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OR MARYLAND, ST. JOHN’S OR ARMY. THAT’S WHY I’VE ASKED YOU TO DIVE FOR LOOSE BALLS WHETHER WE’RE DOWN BY 20, UP BY 20, OR TIED. IT DIDN’T MATTER WHO WE WERE PLAYING. WE WANTED TO PLAY AT A HIGH LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE.
‘THE TOURNAMENT IS THE REASON WHY. NOW THAT WE’RE HERE, WE’RE NOT GOING TO OVERLOOK OUR FIRST-ROUND OR SECOND-ROUND OPPONENTS. WE’RE GOING TO RESPECT THEM. IF WE WERE TO DISRESPECT OUR COMPETITION, WE WOULD BE DISRESPECTING OURSELVES.’
SO I TELL OUR TEAM THAT WE BELONG IN THE TOURNAMENT. THE WHOLE YEAR HAS BEEN PREPARATION FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. WE MUST GO IN WITH CONFIDENCE, COURAGE AND PRIDE. AND I TELL THEM TO BELIEVE THEY CAN WIN, BUT DON’T ASSUME THEY WILL WIN.
WE MUST HAVE RESPECT FOR EACH OPPONENT WE PLAY – FROM THE FIRST ROUND TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. ONE AT A TIME, WE PREPARE AND WE PLAY OUR BEST BASKETBALL. THEN IT’S ON TO THE NEXT TEAM.
AND AFTER EACH AND EVERY GAME, WE’RE 0-0 AGAIN.
IT’S THE ONLY WAY.
もし英語に自信がある方は読んでみて。
ニュアンスだけとかでも日本のコーチには絶対にない考えがあるのでとても参考になるはず。
伝え方は大切である。
Kenny.H
