Dear Dale,
You just won a State Championship, so what’s next?
We celebrate. We hug our loved ones. We thank our fans! We thump our chests with pride and live on the high of a beautiful moment of a season which ended better than any before. But it’s been a week. Now what? We have a gold ball, we’ll soon have our rings, and we walk away from the 2021-2022 Dale High School Basketball Season with a smile and a memory of winning we will never forget. But now what?
As athletes with years of eligibility to play, we have two ways to respond moving forward. We can settle for this one championship or we can build upon it. We can create a Dale Dynasty.
But how do we do that?
It reminds me of a famous Samurai Warrior who had won many battles with his army. But even during times of peace, he was still prepared as if he was heading into battle. He would often be found sharpening his swords. Many of the villagers would ask, “Why are you getting ready for battle when we are at peace?”
The warrior would reply, “Just because I’ve won some battles, doesn’t mean I’ve won the war. What it means is I’m capable of winning, but now I must focus on preserving.”
A dynasty isn’t built in a day, but instead, built in the decisions we make everyday.
This season we’ve seen you beat teams of excellent caliber. We’ve seen you battle and put in the work to win it at all this year. By why stop now? Let’s build upon the work we’ve done.
You need the intensity of MJ, the ferocious mindset of Kobe, the swagger of Shaq, the consistency of Steph Curry, the wisdom of Poppovich, and loyalty of Coach K.
Are you willing to prepare this offseason for greatness? Because dynasties aren’t made on game night, they are made in the weight room, in the practice gym, and in those late night and early morning shoot arounds. These are the moments we sharpen our sword, these are the moments we prepare to preserve the Dale Dynasty.
Congrats on winning your 1st Boys Basketball State Championship in Dale School History! Now what? Let’s answer that question this off-season!
Go Pirates!
-Brandon
Brandon Baumgarten 