A Winning Game Plan

By Bruce Weber

If players and coaches are not 100% focused on what they are doing, they make mistakes that can cost us the game. They can’t even be distracted by thoughts of what they did five minutes ago, or by thoughts of next week’s big game. They have to focus totally on what is happening on the court right this instant, and they have to be thinking about what they will do if “this” player makes “that” move.

In the same way, drivers must be totally focused on the road in front of them. They can’t be thinking about their cell phones, dipping their fries in ketchup, putting on make-up, or daydreaming about the new girl in history class. They have to concentrate on the other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists as well as road and weather conditions. They have to think about things such as what they will do if the car coming towards them suddenly veers into their lane. If they are not 100% focused on their driving, they may make mistakes that could cost them in the game of life.

Those costly errors have an effect not only on the drivers, but also on everyone else involved in their lives. Family, friends, and co-workers are all taken out of their game when they are dealing with fixing a car, making visits to the hospital, or planning a funeral. The ripple effect from one mistake can go on for years, and can easily mess up a winning game plan.

Please, do yourself and everyone else a favor: Stay focused on your driving! Put down the phone, the fries, the make-up, and the daydreams, and just DRIVE.

Bruce Weber is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Kansas State University