College Columns December 2022 | Page 17

Webber was not perfect and he had some more ups and downs for sure , blowing the last game for his college team did not define him , largely because of the support of his coach . Imagine what would have happened if his coach made him bear the full brunt of the loss .
In life , as in basketball , mentors have a number of opportunities to encourage , put in a good word for , and pick up their mentees . Don ’ t blow these times ! Mentees have a lot of needs and they sometimes stumble . Good mentors and good coaches support their peeps . Mentorship pays dividends . Great mentors and great coaches usually get more than they give . When our kids were little , I got to coach their Y basketball teams for 5-6 years . ( Note that the Dallas YMCA does not have a talent requirement for its youth league coaches .) I well up with pride when I see some of my former players now as young men , remembering the first years when they could not dribble and the last ones when they would not stop trying to shoot 3 pointers .
Mentoring is like that . Watching a law student or extern or young lawyer grow into a fully functioning attorney is a sight to behold . As the Bible says , it is better to give than to receive . Conclusion . And so you have it . If you mentor ( or coach basketball ) always bring your “ A ” game , always have your mentee ’ s back , and always enjoy the ride .
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