Accountability

Bobby Bramlett/West Valley Basketball Club:

"Message to Student-Athletes. 

ACCOUNTABILITY

Recently I have received some inquiries as to participating for our Travel team this year. Some of the questions that are asked are contrary to what I believe the value of Team Sports provide. "How many minutes do I get?"; I'm better in a 1 - 4 set with me at the top" ( yes he actually said 1 - 4 set). We are not building a culture of Entitlement. Here you will understand the value of Accountability. Accountability to each other, first and foremost, Accountability to self, and lastly accountability to your coaches. Without your teammates at their absolute best and equally committed, you cannot be successful. Show me any one loss game on film and I promise you I can find that moment when a particular athlete failed his or her team, perhaps because they accepted fatigue, had not paid attention in practice, slept during film etc.. Or maybe they didn't care. That Ethic is ALL about Accountability. You will finish this program completely bought into this culture or you will leave because you can't embrace it. There is no place for Entitlement. This is our culture and the only Ethic we understand is accountability. There is no other way to build a successful TEAM. From the very first time you walk into our gym you must be fully prepared to want to learn all about and embrace the culture of accountability. Will you make mistakes along the way? Of course. Ones made out of effort can be corrected. Ones made due to lack of commitment can never be tolerated. This is a recipe for failure. You are the drivers of this bus. Coaches do not play the game, you do. You are the ones who will be asked to push yourselves to a new limit, finding the greater person who resides in each and every one of you. You will commit to Progress individually and collectively. Progress has more relevance than Perfection since it allows for daily improvement and growth. Perfection is a rare commodity as is evidenced in baseball where a “Perfect game” is a cause of immense celebration. Progress is proof that we are all committed to the same plan and that we hold ourselves accountable to that. We then are able to pick each other up when we fall, while reminding us that we are here to help each other succeed. . We are vulnerable, therefore we work as a team to eradicate our vulnerabilities and make them our strengths. That is why our Mantra is Good Better Best, Never let it Rest, Till good is our better and Better is our Best. For ourselves and for each other. FAMILY.

This was actually sent to the first Teams we had. It's message will always resonate with anyone who believes in the Culture of Accountability. That team was made up of young men who sacrificed Long Grueling weekends. Saturdays were very long. Morning Sessions started with a 1 mile run from our home to the gym at 7am and went to 11am. There was a two hour Lunch Break. You RAN back to where you were going to eat at, which could be anywhere from a mile to 2 miles depending on where. The afternoon practices went from 2pm to 6pm. Their commitment paid off during the Los Angeles Pump event and the Las Vegas Big Time where they outplayed much more heralded opponents and helped to catapult a few of them to very high regard among college coaches. Most of them will probably speak more of Stanley Ibia's incredible dunk ( still have that one on Tape) or Lynn Washington's 39 point, 19 rebound performance in the first round of Open. Didn't matter who they played, that team was in for a Battle. Kids from all walks of life ( one of the great attributes of team sports) came together for one cause. They slept as a group at the house in the TV room and were ready to go the next morning for another long day. No one missed school on Monday because they were tired. One young man in particular was late because of a school commitment that Friday and while I was driving with a parent to pick up Pizza, I saw him get off a bus about a mile from our place and start running up the street. Some of you may very well remember this group since you are tagged. More importantly I hope the ones coming out to participate will understand and appreciate the sacrifices you will make to achieve the dreams you dream.

See you soon at our March Camp. Be ready. Embrace Accountability."