Basketball on the Edge – What 1,000 Means To Me And How I Turned Can’t Into Can!

In the spring of my senior year in high school I went on a recruiting visit to Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. Oglethorpe was an NAIA school that has a beautiful  campus. As part of the visit I stayed overnight with several players in their dorm room, went to the old Omni Arena in downtown Atlanta to watch the NCAA tournament (saw Oklahoma and Louisville), and headed out on the town in Buckhead. It was a memorable visit, probably the most fun of any of my recruiting trips. But that’s not what I remember. An assistant coach at Oglethorpe said something to me that stuck with me through the rest of my recruiting process (if you can even call it that!) and my four years at Kent State. What he said was, “You don’t want to go to Kent State. They’ll bring you in and the next year they’ll recruit right over you. You’ll never get an opportunity to play. If you come here you’ll have a chance to be a thousand point scorer and have a great career.” At the time, I believed I was a Division One player. Guys that I played against in high school were signing letters of intent with schools like Missouri, Tulsa, Miami, Youngstown State, and Michigan. I knew I could play at the Division One level and the words of that coach fueled me to go to Kent State, have a great career, and try to prove that he was wrong.

I went into the final game of my career (I didn’t know it at the time because it was the first round of our conference tournament) at Cobo Arena in Detroit facing Western Michigan needing 11 points to get to 1,000. Unfortunately we lost the game but I got 17. Believe me when I tell you that the words of that coach were still ringing in my ears as the game ended. Despite the loss and the end of my college career, scoring 1,000 points as a Division One player is an accomplishment that still resonates with me 26 years later. The assistant coach at Oglethorpe provided me with a little extra fuel that I carried with me from the moment I heard his words.

At the time, there were many people that told me, “You can’t play Division One basketball. You’re not athletic enough, You’re not big enough. Other guys are better than you.” I looked for ways that I could turn can’t into can. This story from my past illustrates the first way YOU can do it.

1. Prove someone wrong.

The best love to be told they can’t do something and then go out and prove that they can. Use being told you can’t to prove that you can. Don’t let someone else set limits on what you can achieve.

2. And don’t set limits on yourself.

Couple your belief in what you can accomplish with an unrelenting work ethic and you’ll be able to achieve what initially may have seemed impossible.

3. Get used to feeling uncomfortable.

Playing against better players, taking on tougher competition, pushing yourself harder during workouts can be an uncomfortable feeling that isn’t always pleasant. The results you’ll get from being uncomfortable are where the satisfaction lies. You’ll know the “process” it took to get there while the outside world only sees only the end product.

4. Be who you are (or want to be).

Do you want to be the type of player (or person) that gives up easily or always says I can’t? I doubt it. Adopt the mindset of saying, “I can’t do it yet.” Instead of “I can’t.” The first statement indicates that you believe you can improve and get better (a growth mindset) whereas the second statement is a permanent belief about your ability (or lack thereof).

5. Find a role model.

Seek out someone who accomplished something that others said couldn’t be done. Ask them questions and learn from their journey. If you can’t find a real-life role model, pick up a book and read a biography of a person that overcame the odds to do something great. Don’t limit yourself just to reading about basketball players and coaches. People in all walks of life have turned can’t into can!

You can’t! – “They’ll recruit right over you Mike.”

You can!

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