Choice Not Chance

Foreword Mike Krzyzewski xiii Preface xv Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Be Ready for Change and Adventure 9 Opportunity Knocks 10 My First Meeting with Coach K 13 Chapter 2 Creating "Choice Not Chance" 17 We Are All Products of the Choices We Make 18 Chapter 3 The Underdog, Fighter Mentality 23 A Navy Brat Grows Up 24 Wherever They Live, Kids Need to Be Motivated 26 Role Models Help Me Develop My Skills 27 Nurturing Interest and a Desire to Improve 31 Graduation Approaches 34 Chapter 4 Nobody Likes Whiners 39 Arriving at Northwestern and Fighting for Playing Time 40 A Coaching Change 42 My First (Bittersweet) Taste of the NCAA Tournament 46 Chapter 5 Money Alone Won't Make You Happy 51 What Am I Going to Do with My Life? 52 Following a Passion: My Return to Basketball 54 Chapter 6 Never Be Afraid to Try Something and Make a Mistake 59 Making a Commitment and Sticking with It 60 Things Begin to Make Sense 63 A Nearly Fatal Mistake 67 Chapter 7 Seek Out Mentors: Th ere Is No Substitute for Experience 73 Why the Scoreboard Is Irrelevant: Play the Game to Attack and Compete 74 Learning from Failure 77 Seek Out the Wisdom of Others 83 Chapter 8 Not All of Your Players (or Employees) Will Get Along with Each Other 93 Th e Other Side of Success 94 Learning Balance, Restoring Energy 97 Expectations for the Future 99 Chapter 9 Life Is More than the Game 107 Away from the Court, My Priorities Change 108 Team in Transition 109 New Developments on the Court and in My Life 113 Chapter 10 Set High Team Goals While Motivating on an Individual Level: No Two Players ( Just Like No Two Employees) Are Exactly Alike 123 Arriving at Michigan State 124 Lessons from Tom Izzo and Lonny Rosen 126 Motivating a New Team 129 Managing Conflict 133 Chapter 11 Everybody Has to Be Challenged to See How Good They Can Become 139 Challenges and Progress at Michigan State 140 Always Measure Your Accomplishments 143 Chapter 12 Step Back and Reassess Your Priorities 147 How Can We Improve? What Can We Do Better? 148 Refusing to Give Up, No Matter the Opponent 150 Chapter 13 A Message from Coach Smith and Coach Wooden 159 Winning Isn't Always about Who Has the Best or Most Talented Players 160 Coming Close Creates Added Motivation 163 Chapter 14 Coach K Teaches, "Do What You Came Here to Do" 167 Moving On 168 Meeting Another Challenge 174 Getting to Work at Duke 175 Coach K Gives Me the Message I Need When I Need It 179 My First Big Win at Duke 180 Transition at Work and at Home 182 Chapter 15 You Have to Seek Out the Changes--and See How You Need to React to Them--to Make the Team (and Your World) Better 187 Chapter 16 Recruiting Is a True Test of Will, Discipline, Character, and Evaluation Ability 197 Getting the Right Group of Players 198 Chapter 17 Competitive Cauldron 207 Acknowledgments 219 University of Maine and Michigan State University 220 Duke University 221 Index 223