Eight Elite Life Lessons from March Madness

1998 State Championship Team - Highland High School Fighting Scots

March Madness is upon us! As we widdle our way from the sweet sixteen to the elite eight, I am traveling back to Columbus, Ohio to be recognized by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) as a member of the 1998 Div. III High School State Championship team, the Highland Fighting Scots.

​It’s been twenty years since we defeated Cincinnati Indian Hill 80-61 to cap off our historic 27-1 season. I’ll never forget cutting down the nets in St. John arena, where The Ohio State Basketball team once played, capturing the first state championship for our small town High School.
​
Over the years, I’ve come to love March Madness not simply because I grew up playing basketball, or because of the entertainment and excitement it creates; but because March Madness is a series of life lessons played out before a national audience that apply to everyone from the players on the court to the fans watching at home. As we inch closer to the Final Four, here are my eight elite life lesson from March Madness:

1. There is no substitute for victory. There are few things better than winning. Fact. From being the last team to cut down the nets and hoist up a championship trophy to winning a big contract for your company or bringing home a bonus. Most everyone wants to win and winning is certainly contagious. Why? Because there simply isn’t a better feeling.
2. In life there are highs and lows. With winning, comes losing. Just ask the players and coaches at Virginia, the number one overall seed of this year’s tourney. As Head Coach Tony Bennett said during his opening statement after their historic loss to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC): “I told these guys in the locker room, a week ago we were cutting down the nets at the ACC Tournament and how good that felt. Then, we had a historic loss being the first one seed to lose. That’s life.”
3. Ignore the naysayers. Few analysts or fans gave UMBC much of a chance of beating Virginia in the first round. The players and coaches were right to ignore them. The same rings true in life. Most people will tell you what you can’t do. Starting a small business. Bringing change to your community. Running for elected office. Ignore those naysayers and go for the win. After you win, maybe even take a bit of enjoyment in watching those naysayers become fans and supporters!
4. Have empathy for others. Few things are as crushing as a defeat. To put your entire life and soul into something only to lose brings forward emotions that are difficult to explain and process. Having empathy for others during these times truly changes lives. Look to Michigan junior Mo Wagner, who stopped mid-celebration, after his teammate Jordan Poole hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired, to console Houston's Corey Davis Jr., who was on the Houston bench looking on as the Wolverines celebrated their victory. Ask yourself who is having a bad day at work or who in your life may have just experienced a devastating defeat. Reach out like Mo Wagner did. Have empathy for others, it will go a long way.
5. Surround yourself with the right team. A team is more than five players on the court. It includes the bench, the coaching staff, families, fans, and more. Each member plays an important role. No team wins a championship without building the right team and the same lesson applies to life. From your friends and family to your co-workers and business partners. Surround yourself with people who have your shared values and goals. Good things will happen as a result.
6. Almost everyone loses. Not everyone comes back from a loss. The single loss of our 27-1 state championship team was a triple overtime defeat at our league rival River Valley. It was a controversial game that could have derailed our season had we looked at it as an excuse rather than a teachable moment. Such is life. Everyone experiences loss or setbacks. It’s inevitable. How we respond when we are down and out is what defines us as people and players in the game of life.
7. Faith matters. Ask the players on the Nevada team if they had faith they could mount the second largest comeback in NCAA history against Cincinnati. The Wolf Pack were down 22 points (65-43) with 11:37 to play in the second half and went on a 32-8 run to finish the game, taking a 75-73 lead on a second chance jumper with nine seconds left. In order to win faith is required; in yourself, your abilities and your teammates. Conversely, ask Head Coach Bennett the importance of his faith in their historic loss to UMBC. Win or lose, faith will carry you through. It’s important to never forget that, especially on the heels of a defeat.
8. Smile. Have fun. Some of my favorite memories of playing basketball and watching March Madness include the smallest of things. A beautiful no look pass. Ball movement. Off-ball screens. A player banking in a three pointer (it still counts). I recall asking my teammate, J.T. Hoyng, if he wanted us to overload the zone for him to get an open shot while inbounding the ball to him against East Knox during a home game. He smiled saying “no, I think I’m just going to pull up and shoot.” He went 16 of 21 (76.2%) behind the arc that night on his way to scoring 57 points without playing the fourth quarter. His 16 three’s in a game is still a state record and it was that brief exchange while inbounding the ball that makes me smile to this day. That game came to an end, just like life certainly will. So, smile and have fun!

This year's tournament is another example of why I love the sport of basketball and why I believe so many people tune in every year to watch March Madness. Ultimately, it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes I memorized as a cadet at West Point; MacArthur’s opinion of athletics: “Upon fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.” General MacArthur was speaking to the importance of sport in fighting and winning our nation's wars. For me, March Madness is a reminder that life lessons learned from sport can be applied to living our lives to their fullest.