Suddenly it’s November or almost anyway – it’s less than two weeks away. This is going to be over before you know it. I’m not talking about the pre-season program, although that’s true. I’m talking about the high school season. 

In a few weeks the seniors will participate in your last One Voice workout and your last fall league game. Then your season will start. It’s what you’ve been working towards since March – some of you have been working on it for years. For the seniors it’s the culmination of all the rec programs, travel teams. AAU teams, summer leagues, practices and workouts in your driveway. It may be hard to think about it ending but don’t let that cheat you of the opportunity to experience it all. Don’t be afraid to feel it, and then commit to making this the best of times, the best of seasons. It won’t be measured in wins or losses –although winning certainly helps. I’ll be measured, and remembered by your ability to enjoy each other’s company, the competition, and the emotional rollercoaster of the season. Enjoy the bus rides to the away games, the practices, even the late night homework (OK scratch that last one). Don’t let the drama, the petty issues or frustrations of competition get in your way.

Every Wednesday and Thursday you walk into the gym and make the rounds, checking in with the younger players. You make them feel like they belong in the gym with you. They’ll remember you. They might even want to be like you as players. That’s how the Voorhees program worked for a long time – young players watching the high school girls play. My daughter Becky could barely dribble when she watched the great Voorhees teams of 1999, 2000 and 2001 play with Sue Altman, Jamie Bleck and Amy Webb. Kelly and Caitlin Reilly watched Becky’s team play. Allie and Kelly Best were the water girls for that team – their sister Danni was a sophomore that year when they won the county championship. Some of the current freshman watched Allie and Caitlin play and win the state sectional championship. That’s how it’s been for years. Now it’s your turn. What will your legacy be? What do you want the kids to remember about you and your team? You don’t want to look back and wish you had done it differently. You want to look back and say “Yeah that was a special time”.

There are things you can’t control. You can’t control playing time, or injuries, or losing at the buzzer when a girl banks in a shot from the corner (I’ve actually seen that happen). You can control your response to those situations and others that will challenge your dreams. In the process you can leave a gift for those who follow you – the gift of enthusiasm, commitment to each other, never giving up on a game, a season or each other.

Earlier this fall you talked about shared purpose – something common to all true teams. You said that purpose was… “To make the most of our time together by playing unselfishly for each other, giving 110%, and staying positive through the challenging times, respecting our program’s tradition and modeling for the players who come after us, our fans and each other.”

In your last two Fall League games you played true to your purpose. You played unselfish basketball, gave maximum effort, stayed positive through tough times (like today’s rugby match). Everything about your play was consistent with the Voorhees tradition. It’s a good start and something to build on. Let’s keep it going.

Bob Peterman