Always "Bring It"

The varsity girls' basketball team from my school had an undefeated season this year. Going into the league tournament, they were pretty set for a championship. Very exciting. They were able to skip the first day of the tournament because of their awesome record, so they were well-rested for their first game on day 2. 

And...they totally blew it...

A team they should have easily defeated (last time had 30-point victory) was able to beat them... 

It was totally horrifying to behold. They came out like they owned the world yet played like they'd actually never held a ball. It was...ugh. 

When I asked the younger team members about the situation, they said the team was just way too cocky to actually "bring it" well. Interesting observation from 14-year-olds..."The pride goes before the fall..."

So it has me thinking...it's just a "no brainer" that we should always "bring it" to the situations we face. Even if we are outmatched, we need to put it all on the table and finish well. But the "bring it", when combined with pride, is actually not bringing it at all. And it can actually end up creating our demise. 

My younger players told me they learned something from it...that the "best" is really skill and humility in partnership. The new "bring it" for them...

Note taken. :)