Dear Hopeful,

You’ve trained.  You’ve run a little extra and maybe lost a little sleep.  You’ve seen how nervous mom is and you can see Dad is trying to hide it.  You’ve posted your tweet letting everyone know you’ve been invited or selected to attend the 2018 USA Basketball Women's U17 Trials.  Soon, you will have arrived at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO and no one can save you.  Muhahahahahahahaaaaaaa! Ok, that’s a little dark, but nevertheless, it’s on! A plethora of talent will ascend on the mountains for a chance to compete and represent the United States in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Belarus.  The intensity of your awareness of the opportunity you have to drape the old red, white, and blue flag over your body is a far cry from the mandatory honoring of the flag at the beginning of the school day when you were in elementary school.  Stay focused.  Remember all the things your trainer taught you.  You deserve this opportunity.  Remember what your mom told you, “Make sure you don’t forget to brush your teeth.”  And don’t give in to the “Elevation Demon” that may jump into your chest and try to suck all the air out of your body even though you ran those extra miles and bought the elevation mask to prepare for your moment.  Compete!  Relax. Have fun because you know that no matter what happens, many are proud of you.  If you make it or don’t make it, your detractors (also known as haters) will scoff at you and find a way to remind you that you are not who you think you are. 

But you are who you think you are. 

A Baller! 
A great student! 
A matchup problem! 
A B.E.A.S.T.! 
Grandma’s Sugar Foot! 

Oh and one last thing that I’ll never forget WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins shared with my daughters, “You don’t have to be THE best, just be YOUR best.”

See Ya Tomorrow,