We began our pre-season tonight with a win over a team in the league below us. Interestingly enough, we played before a packed house. The energy in the building was great for a preseason game, indeed, maybe for any game. The temperature was no joke either.

One of the things that always hits me at the beginning of the season is the way in which members of a particular team must learn how to best play the game together. In the basketball world, we would say that the preseason is an important time to develop good chemistry. Essentially, what it ends up meaning is that it is vital to figure each other out, to learn what each individual player likes to do and in turn, figure out how we can all fit together in such a way that we will corporately be at our best.

Apart from playing games with one another, there is really no other way to learn, to figure this out. Practice won’t even do it. You have to get out and compete, and take some mental notes. Make some mistakes. Ask some questions and keep on playing until you figure each other out.

And in the end, you never fully figure each other out. You are always learning. Always developing better chemistry (at least you hope). A Coach gives you the structure in which to work and you then go out and communicate and play the game with one another. I love the process. But I love when it really starts to come together all the more! The teams that really figure out how to best fit their respective gifts and strengths are always the most fun to play for and oftentimes, the most successful.

I am hopeful my squad this year proves to be such a team!