February 8, 2002, Newsletter Issue #44: PLAYOFF TIME!

Tip of the Week

1) The little things you do to help your team...make all the difference in the world...every successful inbound pass, every rebound, every "dive" for a loose ball...will determine the outcome!

2) Forget about the scouts and the newspapers...they come to see players..make them see A TEAM!! It doesn`t matter what they write in their columns...Just Win!

3) Don`t change what got you this far...don`t try to be a leading scorer if you`ve never done it before...you owe it to your teammates to play within yourself...

4)Moms and Dads are great...but this is not their time...follow your coaches lead...one voice..one purpose...one team!

5) Referees make mistakes...It`s part of the game...Captains, learn the ref`s last name...put Mr. or Ms. before it and watch things turn your way...(took me a long time to learn that)!

6) Reputations and rankings don`t mean JACK...on any given night you can beat anyone!

7) Have your mom or dad save newspaper clippings about your team..BUT, DON`T READ THEM UNTIL THE SEASON`S OVER...you have to play...not the newspeople...don`t get poisoned by what you read.

8)Lastly...enjoy the moment...when you get my age, you won`t remember the game...you will remember the Battle...and the brothers or sisters who stood there with you!

I thought these were excellent words of advice - remember what NC State Coach Jimmy V said on his farewell tour (before he passed away) - he said something to the effect of "when I look back at my coaching career and all the `Big` games and fanfare, the things I remember most are NOT the wins or losses or titles - but rather - it`s the kids, the teamwork, the fun, the friendships, the camaraderie, the `experience` - all of it - those are the things I will miss most." So - to all the players and fans and coaches - "enjoy and savor the moment" - it never quite gets any better than this.

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