Sunday, January 23, 2011

The 80/20 rule and "The Grind"


Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

This post is part 2 of the 2 part mini-series concerning the final 11 games of the season! Be sure to read Part 1 entitled "Round 2...The secret is out" first!!

I have long been a believer in the the 80/20 rule. I believe this is a rule, not only to live by, but to use as a measuring stick for a person to measure their own strengths, weaknesses, victories and failures. The 80/20 says that "20% of life is made up of what happens to you, the remaining 80% is how you react to what happens to you." There are so many areas of life that this truth shows up. For our basketball team, we have began a stretch of games that will test the 80% portion of that ratio. This stretch of games has become known amongst coaches in the league as "The Grind".


"The Grind" refers to the last 5 weeks of the conference schedule, because for 5 straight weeks, the teams in the league will play every Wednesday and Saturday without coming up for air. We have finished non-conference play, we have finished the NCAA mandated "dead period" from Dec 20-26th, we have finished Christmas break...there are no breaks left before the MIAA tournament in Kansas City (March 3rd-6th). For players and coaches in the league, this is the time of the year that their physical and mental stamina is tested to it's limits.


Affectionately terming this stretch of games as "the grind" is actually very fitting when you look at it closer. The word, when not being thrown around as a noun by college basketball coaches, is actually a verb. Webster defines it this way: "to wear down, polish or sharpen". The thing I find interesting is this...the result of the grind(ing) can be positive or negative. Some things wear down, while others are made stronger, sharper, more polished.


The concept is simple, "The Grind" will either wear teams down, or will it makes them sharper and more polished. In lue of the 80/20 rule, we are in control...not of the schedule, but of how we react to that schedule. We are in control of how we are affected by "The Grind". Ultimately, the thing I love most about "The Grind" is that the toughest competitors always rise to the top. The hard work put in all summer, pre-season, non-conference schedule, and the first round of conference culminates in these last 10 games. Buckle your seat belts because one thing is for sure...it's going to be a fun ride!


Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach