Little Wins

 “We only lose if we quit. If you don’t quit, you never lose.”
— Kelvin Sampson

We’re not just here to win games - we’re here to grow.
From the moment we wake up before a tournament to the second we pull back into the driveway, every step of the journey is a chance to improve. We owe it to our young athletes to set clear, achievable, meaningful expectations - not perfection, just effort.
Our #1 goal?
Is to have every player play their absolute hardest on every single possession.
But how do we measure progress when the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story?
We count Little Wins - small, controllable actions that build a culture of excellence.
LITTLE WINS CHECKLIST

• Beat the other team to warmups.
  Be first. Beat the other team to layup lines and get out there with purpose and energy. Set the tone before the ball is even tipped.
• Leave the bench cleaner than we found it.
  Respect the space. Represent with pride. Our bench is a reflection of our standard. Clean it.
• Beat your teammate to help someone up.
  Sprint to your teammate who is on the ground. Be the first one there with a hand. 
• Never get beat down the floor.
  Offense. Defense. Every possession. Sprint. Beat them there, no excuse not to be able to do this. 
• Be louder.
  Communicate. Talk early, talk often. Cheer loud for your teammates when you’re on the bench. Yell on when your team breaks out of a huddle. Teammate hits a big shot, bench should respond with energy. Teammate locks someone down on D, bench should respond with energy. Teammate gets an and one, bench should respond with energy.
• First to the floor for loose balls.
  Dive. Scramble. Fight for every possession. Hustle is our identity.
  First to high five or lift up a teammate.
  Celebrate effort. Build confidence. Let your energy be contagious. Every time a teammate checks out of the game, give them a five, dap them up, or show them love - no matter what just happened. 

Play with pride.
Be proud to wear your jersey. Be proud of your teammates. Show love, support, and belief in each other - in the good moments and the hard ones. Don’t be a quitter or cry baby when hard times come, because I promise you, they will come.

These moments don’t show up on the stat sheet - but they build a winning culture.
If we stay consistent with our Little Wins, big wins will follow.
If we let the other team or our own habits beat us here, we’ll lose more than just games.
Let’s choose the Little Wins. Every rep. Every game. Every weekend.
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