The 12th Man

Once upon a time, I went on a college visit with a former player/mentee. The coaches asked some of the current players to talk to myself and the visiting player and family, about the culture. The first to respond was their top scorer, who had some great things to say. The next to respond was a player who led the team in minutes and averaged a double-double. I stopped everyone and said, I want to hear from the person who doesn’t get to play. It took a while for someone to speak. Then finally there were some words spoken, but nowhere near the excitement of the first two players. It told me all I needed to know. And my theory proved to be correct. The 12th man told me all I needed to hear about the culture! Lock In!!