One of the most overlooked participants on a competitive cheer squad, especially when a routine is going well, is the athlete called the “base.” As a matter of fact, when a cheer squad is nailing their routine, the base will hardly be noticed at all. However, when a “flier” misses a landing or a base misses a catch, I guarantee the base will be noticed. You see, the base is the foundation; everything must be built upon and supported by a firm base.

What we speak and how we speak comes out of our hearts. We all can let things come out of our mouths and realize that there’s a problem. Sometimes when I hear my players say certain things, I’m reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” So you have to be a role model. You have to be an example. It takes action, and it takes attitude. Actions speak louder than words and attitude speaks louder than actions. You have to live by what you say. That speaks to a person’s integrity. Living it out is much more powerful than just saying it. Jesus lived it. We have His words, but we also have His actions. That’s so powerful.
 

Have you ever been a part of a team that had a break-through year? In my own experiences as both a player and a coach, I find that those moments happen after a great deal of planning and training. Usually those “miracle” seasons don’t just happen; they are the result of hard work and effort. But one thing they do have in common is a big dream.

A successful partnership is a key in any sport, no matter how many athletes are playing at once. Let's think about basketball specifically. You start with a pick-up game of two-on-two. In that situation, you must work hand-in-hand with your teammate (partner), in order to prevent your two opponents from scoring, and you must find a way to score yourself. Usually, in order to become efficient partners, you have to play a few games together to figure it out. And the more you play together, the better your partnership becomes.