Tom Izzo said, "You play real good, you start. You don't play as good, you work your way back in." "That's the American way except America has gotten soft." You don't get what you want, you get what you earn. It starts with hard work. (FOX College Hoops)

Nick Saban said, "Everything starts with discipline." "It's what are you willing to accept from yourself." Discipline isn't punishment. It's a choice. • A choice to be consistent. • A choice to put in the work. • A choice to demand more from yourself.

"Great players want to be coached. It's not a form of punishment to instill discipline, accountability, and work ethic. It's a great gift. It's the right way to develop young people." You don’t get coached because you’re bad. You get coached because you can be great.

Steve Sarkisian said, "Nobody’s going to give you playing time - you earn that playing time." "What we've lost as a society is the ability to persevere." Entitlement is easy. Perseverance is hard. How to master delayed gratification in a world that wants everything now:

Your effort is a choice. Your attitude is a choice. Your actions are a choice. Your communication is a choice. Your leadership is a choice. Your level of belief is a choice. Your commitment is a choice. Getting better starts with making better choices. Take ownership.

Life won’t always go your way—some complain, others grind. The reward belongs to those who get back to work.

Every parent says, “I just want my kid to do their best.” Here’s the truth: “The best” isn’t about stats. It’s about being the hardest worker, the best teammate, and having the best attitude. That’s how winning habits are built on and off the field.

Athletes who want to play and only have fun are "PARTICIPANTS" Athletes who work hard in practice & games are "COMPETITORS" Athletes who do what's right regardless of the situation are "CHAMPIONS"

“The most important thing to me was our mindset. We believed, expected, prepared to make it happen and could handle the ups and downs of the game without flinching, showing frustration, anxiety. We passed that test,” Curt Cignetti Winners practice being winners.

Parents poisoning team culture through their kids. Your whispers in the car become their words in the locker room. Choose wisely.

Football teaches you more about life than any sport I've ever played or coached!

“Players, not Plays.” The longer you coach, the more you know it is true. Coaching Gold 🥇

The weight room, classroom & working hard in practice isn't for everyone. Then again...neither is playing time & neither is winning.

Coaches do not choose your playing time - your choices do. Playing time isn’t politics. It’s proof. It's proof of your habits, your work ethic, and your sacrifices. There's a price to pay before you earn the right to play.

An important message for parents. Negativity at home always finds its way to the locker room. Parents have the power to help build a positive culture…or poison it.

You don’t rise to the level of your ambition — you fall to the level of your discipline. Either your habits get stronger or your goals get smaller. There’s no middle ground.

High school sports are so much more than wins and losses. They’re where you discover grit, perseverance, and what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself. Every practice, every game, every teammate; these moments shape you for life’s toughest challenges.

Entitlement kills culture. When players expect instead of earn, teams fall apart. Gratitude fades. Humility disappears. Teach them to earn it.