Anyone who knows me knows I bleed Duke Blue. I began playing basketball when I was 7 years old and I will never forget the first college basketball game I ever watched. I had just turned 10 years old four days before the Duke/Kentucky 1992 Final Four game. I remember turning on my 13 inch black and white TV that I had received as a birthday present from my grandparents and seeing a basketball game on TV. I had no clue who was playing or what was on the line, I just loved basketball, so I watched. Early on in the game the announcers were talking about the two teams and mentioned that Duke was the underdog in the game and what was at stake. So I began pulling for Duke throughout the game. I had no idea what I was about to witness. As you know the game went to OT and then the Hill/Leattner miracle shot to win the game. I was hooked! I went to my parents the next day and vowed that I was going to play basketball for Duke University and became an instant fan.

I never got to that level. I realized in high school that I was not a good enough player to make it to college playing basketball. So I devoted myself to music. I played in the band in high school and was a part of 5 state championships (one as an 8th grader) and a fantastic band program. I also learned I could sing and ended up going to school on a voice scholarship. I learned a great deal about teamwork and leadership through my band and chorus. I was section leader, brass captain, band president and soloist throughout my musical career. I was very interested in leadership and how to improve as a leader, which is where Coach K became a huge part of my life.

By the time I was a sophomore in college I had decided to pursue a career teaching choral music. I wanted to become a great leader of people so I began to read leadership books. I found a book entitled “Leading with the Heart” by Coach K and began reading. I could not put it down. Not only was I reading into the detail behind my favorite basketball team of all time, but Coach K’s method of “finding heart on the team” and leading through his players, working together using “the fist”, teaching accountability and responsibility, learning from his players and reacting to what they needed to become the best (not just what had worked for former players) and countless other lessons really struck home with me and motivated me to become a great leader. I immediately tried to implement these strategies into my everyday life and I still incorporate many of these ideas as a choral director now. I see conducting a choir, and running a choral program, like running a team. I work hard to insure that my “team/choir” works together toward common goals. I work to see that they communicate, trust each other and myself, work with collective responsibility, care about what they are doing and have pride in the work they do, and I have seen incredible results in my students and their achievements. I have since re-read “Leading with the Heart” multiple times and each time I read passages that mean more to me today than ever before. I have read and use “Beyond Basketball” in my teaching and I am currently reading “Five Point Play” that I happened upon in a thrift store last week. I learn something new every time I read about this great man and his teaching.

“The mentor I have never met. . .” I feel that even though I have never met Coach K person to person that I know him on a certain level. I have learned as much from reading his books, watching him speak and watching the way he handles himself on the court and off as I have from any of my teachers and mentors growing up. I have unlimited respect for Coach K and I strive to work as hard as I can to be as great a teacher as he is. I hope someday I get to meet my childhood hero that has become a person of wisdom and guidance in my career. That would be a great day!

Thanks Coach for all the lessons. Good luck this season. Even though you don’t know me, I try to never miss a game if it is on TV. And finally GO DUKE!