Learning from the Spurs

You have to hand it to the San Antonio Spurs.  Not only did the Spurs win this year's National Basketball Association championship in convincing fashion, they did so by demonstrating the importance of selflessness, consistency, composure, and teamwork.

The Spurs won more than sixty games during the regular season, finishing with the best record in the NBA.  And they had little trouble in the playoffs, defeating even the talent-rich Miami Heat to claim their fifth championship in fifteen years.

Clearly, the Spurs have game.  They're a talented team, featuring several future Hall of Famers and a terrific coach. 

But they also have other habits that serve them well.  They play smart, thoughtful basketball.  They stress fundamentals.  They play as a team.  They keep their egos and emotions in check, even when things on the court are not going their way.  And they learn from setbacks, as they obviously did after losing to the Heat in last year's finals.  

These are behaviors that everyone--especially new college students--would be smart to learn early on.  College asks you to be serious about school and to come to class ready to "play" (note my quotes!).  It calls upon you to use your support (help centers and student services) when some timely help from others can make a difference.  It insists that you show up regularly--and keep up over the long haul--and that you stay calm and composed during  stressful situations.  College also encourages you to learn from mistakes, including those moments (in or out of the classroom) that are disappointing and that you wish you had back.

Going to college may not seem as exciting as playing in the NBA finals (no chance of your being interviewed by ESPN or making the cover of Sports Illustrated after acing a test), but the two activities are more alike than you might think.  Both require  intelligence, commitment, tenacity, patience, and initiative.  Both also encourage dependence on others, at least at times, along with the ability to control emotions and impulses. 

What's more, they share a commitment to delayed gratification (think of all those hours spent in the gym  and/or the library) en route to the big moment--championship games or graduation. 

Even if you stink at basketball (like I do), know that you're in good company when you work as hard as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and the rest of the Spurs. There's plenty to be said for dedication and discipline, no matter where they make their presence felt.