Victory Dances – Whenever my yearbook staff is facing a final deadline and the pressure has been mounting, we have to do something to break the tension. One of the greatest stress relievers is to submit a completed spread.

Unfortunately hitting that “Submit” button also hits our “Fear of Failure” buttons. The best cure for fighting this post-submit anxiety is the victory dance.

Just like athletes in big time games, I challenge my students to have a signature dance move that they do after submitting one of their spreads. Most of my staff members look at dancing as more terrifying than turning in their pages, but once the tradition gets going each year, the fun starts flowing.

They learn to let go of those trepidations and move on to the next task at hand. They have boogied beyond the distress of self-doubt and letting go. AND letting go of fear and insecurity, ladies and gentlemen, is always worth dancing over.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Zone Defense – Running a zone defense requires players to maintain control of their assigned area on the court. If an opposing player comes into your zone with the ball, your job is to stop them from passing or scoring. Zone defense is really hard to run and can be even harder to break.

I like to think of attitude as a zone defense. We can let the negative thoughts and words of others penetrate our zone and score against our outlook OR we can stop those downers before they have a chance to make an impact on us.

Today, if you find yourself crowded by grumpiness or fouled by foulness of others, put up your positivity defenses. Adopt a solid stance about how great your life is and set yourself in the assuredness of your intent to be satisfied, kind, and grateful. Surround yourself with a team that provides support and has your back when you feel like you are on the weak side of your defenses.  Build your zone with energy that strengthens not diminishes the awesomeness of your life.

By: Melanie A. Peters

The Assist – In order to get an assist in basketball you have to give.

An assist takes place when one player passes the ball to another and the recipient scores a basket.

In life assists come in all shapes and sizes. They can come from emotional support or humor, or from financial help, or time dedicated. We can all be assist masters if we are willing to give just a little. I was responsible for a school wide assembly to bring attention to the yearbook. My yearbook staff and I were determined to make it great. There were going to be terrific sounds and sites at our assembly, but we quickly realized that it was going to take more than just the 13 of us to make it happen.

Fortunately my friends, P.E. teachers Brad and Dana, donated their time and resources to make it possible for our assembly to be a slam dunk. They allowed my staff to set up during their 6^th hour class period and even directed their students on how to get everything in place. Brad served as our lighting specialist and was exceptionally gracious when we used his office to break a small-spaces record. Dana remained calm and made things happen with set construction and electrical support for our displays. They were wonderful! Brad and Dana will never know how much their assistance aided my staff and me. Their willingness to contribute to the success of our assembly made them MVP’s in my book.

Take time to assist someone in your life today. If you don’t see an opportunity to make a beneficial assist, give thanks to someone for a time that they created an opportunity for you. Remember assists can be quick and simple or they can be detailed and drawn out, but they all make a difference. Direct your energy to give meaningful assists and you will feel the impact a positive force pushing you forward.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Time outs – Give yourself a break

When I was younger, you only got three time outs in a game. In recent years many modifications have been made to the regulations of basketball timeouts. In high school basketball, each team is allowed three 60-second timeouts and two 30-second timeouts. In NCAA college basketball, each team has one 60-second timeout and three 30-second timeouts (unless the game is not televised, then there are 75-second timeouts). The NBA allots each team one 20-second timeout per half and six 60-second timeouts per game. That is A LOT of timeouts, but those timeouts are nothing compared to the ones available to you.

Why does one need a timeout? Timeouts are the answers to so many of our daily travails and a healthy practice to begin. Teams use timeouts to regroup or make a game plan. You should do the same. Use your timeout to breathe, think, pray, meditate, or get advice. Take a step back from the action for a minute to find the best means of overcoming your opponent.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to make a huge, impactful choice, take a timeout. Use that quiet time to weigh the elements of the decision. It will make your final choice so much easier to accept and explain to all those involved. If it is stress coming at you from all aspects of your life, take a timeout. Stop, breathe, pray, be still. Give your body, mind, and heart a chance to regroup and face all those daunting tasks with peace and focus.

If things are going great, birds are singing, the sun is shining, your hair is cooperating, whatever it is that could be great is, take a timeout. Express gratitude in your thoughts and words for all that is right, and document in your mind and heart just how terrific it feels to be you. Those positive moments will result in the need for fewer frustration timeouts and more celebrations of success for the awesomeness that is you.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Rebounds – One of the best statistics in sports comes from the rebound.

In basketball a rebound occurs when a player misses a shot and that shot is immediately caught and put right back up, often times scoring points for the team.

Rebounds are a terrific part of life! They represent what happens when we make mistakes or our intentions are off the mark. Yeah, you missed. Yes, you did not get where you hoped to be. Absolutely, you failed in one aspect BUT there is always the rebound.

Pick yourself up and go for another shot. If a friend is the one who suffered a misfire, send them an assist of advice or a helping hand. So many of the little victories in life come from rebounding from mistakes and misdirection. Go for that second chance! Make things happen in a positive way with the pieces brought on by blunders. The rebound it a means for achieving something to celebrate.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Fouling out – In basketball you are allowed five fouls before you “foul out.” In grade school I was really good at fouling out. I loved blocking shots and getting rebounds, but my tenacity often led to infringing on the space of my opponents, earning me a whistle blow and a violation of some sort. I did NOT like fouling out. I did NOT like sitting on the bench. I did NOT understand something very basic about the game of basketball and life.

After one particularly bitter fifth foul fall out, my dad explained to me that fouling out wasn’t always a bad thing. He said, “It doesn’t bother me that you foul out. It shows that you are doing something. So don’t let it bother you so much.” Dad was right.

In life we are going to “foul out.” We have to accept and embrace that not every chance we go after will result in a positive score for us. It is absolutely necessary that we take each shot with the intent of releasing the best energy we can and hope for the greatest gain possible.

Remember this important cue from the court the next time you find yourself sitting on the sidelines. The game is still going. You just have to change the intent of your energy.

By: Melanie A. Peters