Seeing Through The Dark Clouds

The student-run Florida Alligator newspaper in
Gainesville ran a cover today that was a huge
menacing black cloud with stylized skyscrapers
peaking through in places.

It's hard not to get caught up in the darkness of
the 9/11 anniversary like we're remembering
today. But this morning after honoring and
remembering the innocents slain in the World
Trade Center massacre, I decided they wouldn't
want me to wallow in fear or sadness. They'd
want me to get on with my own unique brand of
living and overcoming darkness with light.

Still though I was wondering how I was going to
talk about the game of basketball when so many
people were thinking about much more serious
matters.

Then I found a piece in Tom Hughes' monthly
newsletter about a book by Brian Kilmeade called
"The Games Do Count".

In his introduction Brian writes how he was
inspired to finish his book about how sports prepare
people for success in life when he learned four of the
heroes of Flight 93 had an extensive background in
organized sports.

I believe Tom Burnett, Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick,
and Mark Bingham, four average Americans
mustered up the courage to formulate a plan and
execute it even while staring death in the face, in
part, because of their athletic training.

If you want to be negative you can always find
something wrong with sports today, but this story
magnifies everything that's right about it.

So don't let anybody tell you "it's just a game"
anymore when you have the burning desire to be
an outstanding shooter, or to excel at anything else
in life. You were created that way, and you'd be
abnormal not to want to experience it. It's time to
celebrate that, put everything you can into it, and
see what you can become as a result.

The world needs you to.

Shoot For The Stars,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Shooting Hoops

http://www.deandelker.com/products.html