The Philadelphia 76ers Are Good For The NBA

Apr 4, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown talks with players on the bench during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

United We Stand

Military members know this process intimately.  Adversity builds a lifelong bond.  When young men and women enlist in the US military, they know nobody, and they know nothing about the culture of the military way of life.  Individuality, a mainstay of civilian life, is actually a huge detriment in a military lifestyle.  The military success depends on synchronization of a myriad of individuals into focusing on achieving one simultaneous goal.  That inter-dependance and simulataneous relationship is hinged upon each individual sticking to one script.

Losing isn’t fun.  But perhaps it is a necessary first step to building the team mentality which is the basis of what has yet to come. Sports physician Jordan Metzl of the Sports Medicine Institute of Young Athletes in New York gave some insightful comments on the topic:

"“Losing is often overlooked. Winning is celebrated but the pain of loss is very significant. The shame and pressure of losing is a very strong emotion that athletes deal with for their entire careers. Most athletes do lose, it’s normal to be disappointed. It’s not normal to be depressed three months later.”"

The discipline of practice, of exercise, dramatically improve an athlete’s psychology as more and more of the unfamiliar become familiar. By converting responses from “thinking about it” to reflex actions, we improve our ability to react and perform.  To get any athletes attention at the professional level, there has to be motivation.  Losing, while it seems counter-productive, provides some of the strongest motivation to a competitor to learn new and better ways of doing things, and to exert the training and effort it takes to improve.

Next: The Learning Curve