It wasn’t some big dramatic moment. Just a soggy afternoon, a rained out practice, and a quiet conversation in the parking lot.
I turned to my coach and said, “I just want to be better.”
Not the best.
Not great.
Just better.
At the time, I was 7th or 8th on the team at NKU. No scholarship. No spotlight. I wasn’t bad, I was just there. And I was tired of that. Tired of feeling average. Tired of going through the motions.
So I said it. Not for attention. Not because anyone asked. I just needed it out of my head and into the world.
Coach didn’t make a big deal out of it. He didn’t hold me to it. But I held myself to it. That decision turned into early mornings twice a week: driving to the local racquet club before class. Coach would feed me backhands. Reps. Then volleys. More reps. Over and over.
I played more. I practiced with purpose. Not just hoping to improve, working to improve.
That mindset. That repetition. That intentionality…changed everything.
By junior year, I earned a scholarship. By senior year, I kept it.
And after my last season ended, Coach handed me money for books. Just a quiet sign that he saw the work, too.
That whole stretch of time taught me what I carry into the classroom today:
- Show up early.
- Put in the reps.
- Don’t chase perfection. Chase progress.
- Be intentional.
I don’t expect my students to be the best. But I do want them to be better, and to want that for themselves.
Because better is what shapes you.
Better is what sticks.
Better is what makes you a force…not just in sports, but in life.
Moler's Musings 