Driving the Lane

I was a “20 / 20 Player”

Like many fellow Hoosiers, I grew up playing basketball. I was not a “serious” basketball player, but I did enjoy playing the game with friends. As I progressed from elementary to freshman basketball, my place on the team became clear. I developed into what I jokingly called a 20/20 player. I would sit the bench most of the game. At the end of the game, assuming we were ahead or behind by 20 points, I would come in for those last few seconds to dribble the ball off my foot, make passes to teammates who weren’t there, and shoot in the general direction of the goal. On the defensive end of the court, I would watch the other team’s worst players dribble past me and shoot over me in their shining “20/20” moments. I enjoyed playing but little was expected of me as I invested little in the game.

THE Hoosiers

I grew up watching Hoosiers basketball. THE Hoosiers. Not the black and gold team from north of Indy. Definitely not the blue and white team from south of the river. In the Miller home, the TV was on channel 4 and all eyes were on the Cream and Crimson. THE Hoosiers were led my favorite player, Isiah Thomas who could shoot, make incredible passes, and drive the lane as if no one was in his path. THAT was what I found most amazing. Dribbling past a line of defenders and making a lay-up with such ease and grace. As effortless as he made those lay-ups before the game in his candy stripes.

Driving the Lane

Between the top of the key and the goal is the lane. The path between the player and his next two points. The lane is filled with obstacles, but the best players have the speed, the skill, and the courage to boldly attack enemy territory. It’s no small task of a guard to get past the primary defender and avoid the big body and long arms of the post players. It takes court vision, quick decision making, quickness, speed, ball handling skills, and thousands of practice repetitions. The ability to effectively drive the lane comes with confidence earned in the reps. Drive, grit, resilience, persistence, and perseverance. Isiah didn’t just show up to IU and start piling up the stats because he was gifted. He earned those stats years of preparation and practice. He earned them with grit and persistence that wouldn’t let him quit. He earned them with drive that kept him practicing long after he was already an exceptional player. Isiah could drive the lane and amaze a little kid in Nashville, Indiana because that kid had no idea of the thousands of hours of practice and preparation that preceded that 2-second blast of “effortless” attack.

Wonderful You

One of my favorite quotes is by Michelangelo.

“If people knew how hard

I worked to get my mastery,

it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”

I absolutely LOVE that! It’s easy to be amazed when all we see is the final product. When we don’t take time to consider the years and countless hours of preparation. The greatest performers are simply doing what they’ve trained so long and so hard to do. This got me thinking about you. Take a minute to look at your skills you’ve developed over your lifetime. I’m not necessarily talking about athletic or artistic skills, but interpersonal skills and intra-personal skills. The skills you’ve developed in your careers and in your hobbies. The skills of navigating a life that seems to continually change and challenge you personally and professionally. Watching you do what you do is amazing. Watching you be wonderful you. Consider the wonder of your day. The invisible actions that are building the wonderful you that can dazzle and amaze the onlookers.

The Winding Path

Here’s your warning sign. Your path ahead is not going to be a straight line. There have been obstacles all along the way. There will continue to be obstacles. But each day we navigate the winding path, we are becoming more experienced and more skilled. Each time we continue moving forward after facing an adversity, we are becoming better equipped to when the next struggle comes our way. The obstacles are making us stronger and more able to move forward. Today, you are at the top of the lane. You are not a “20/20 player.” You are Isiah Thomas with the ball. The court is yours. The lane is waiting to be driven.

Photo by Mark König on Unsplash