by Coach Jermaine Johnson
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach
Troy University
Coming from North Memphis the game took me to an entire New World. Basketball represents how our society should operate. The team concept is highlighted more than any other sport. This should be the basis for life; working together for common goals that will place us all higher on the ladder of success and immediate gratification, tend to be our guide, basketball can be a means to an end which helps to correct these behavioral attitudes.
My approach to the game is based upon the three D’s the game has taught me: Desire, Dedication, and Discipline. If these behaviors are planted in the hearts and minds of all people, they will grow into attitudes that will carry over into the game of life. It all began with desire. Desire, to me is defined as demonstrated enthusiasm. It is the root for all successful achievements. The attitude of desire has been a high priority for my maturation and development. This attitude has been the motivation in chasing education, teams and athletics as a career. From my youth, I felt God and destiny have intended for me to coach. The importance of coaches in my life were tremendous factors in shaping my life. I want to give these values back to others.
To be successful, a man must be dedicated to achieving a goal, whether it be winning an athletic championship or getting rejected from trying to move up in the profession. Dedication is simply an undying loyalty to your task. Two synonyms come to mind when speaking of dedication. One is love. You must love what you are doing. More importantly, you must love others. Love not expressed is hardly love at all. I dedicated myself to my work, student athletes, co-workers, and community. The other word is Sacrifice. If a man is properly dedicated, no reasonable sacrifice is too much to ask if it achieves the ultimate goal of victory.
Most important is the attitude of Discipline. Any successful person must learn to discipline himself before he can learn to discipline others, he must learn to accept discipline himself, he must learn to accept discipline from others. The game of basketball has shown me that I’m really a trampoline. We fall down but we can bounce right back up with a rewired mind and a insatiable hunger to get better. As a Christian, I feel God has called me into this work to meet the challenge of influencing lives, with this motivation, I can create an atmosphere of love, work, passion, development, promotion, and excitement that will attain holistic success in winning and in life to produce living trophies.
Basketball has taught me how to persevere Good and Bad Situations that happen in life as well as basketball. Making a team and individual champions for life and knowing that our goals are higher than 10 feet. It has given me the opportunities to have friends from all over the world. Being able to see the big picture taking boys to men.