Pep Talk: "Winning Plays"

After enjoying Saturday brunch with precious daughter at our favorite neighborhood hangout, I dropped her off at her mom’s. Well, not exactly. The 15-year-old princess, armed with learner’s permit, drove us back toward mom’s nearby home. The sophomore-to-be’s a darn good driver. It’s like I have a chauffeur. For that I am grateful.

After a decent hug - teenage girls don’t like to hug their old man’s do they? - I drove away and began to think about a few things: one, how much I love my daughter and hope she never questions that truth; secondly, now that precious cargo had been safely returned to port, how eager a simple dude from Missouri was to share thoughts about winning plays. Thanks for wondering and reading. Seriously, I’d appreciate your thoughts, we’re in this together, right?

Anyway, back to the Pep Talk point about winning plays.

Ya know? Those moments in life where somebody steps up big time and saves the day, so to speak? The phrase “winning plays” burrowed into my brain while watching Game Four of the 2012 NBA Finals, ultimately won by Miami over Oklahoma City. Late in the close game, television analyst Jeff Van Gundy, while describing the Heat’s Shawn Battier’s great effort in tipping a ball to a teammate that helped secure Miami’s second world title, said this: “It’s all about making winning plays and Shawn Battier just made a winning play.”

Not fifteen minutes later, while winding down before bed, I’m watching television coverage of the tragic High Park fire that, as of this completion of this writing Sunday, had grown to the second-largest in land mass and, in terms of homes, businesses, churches, schools and other important stuff, destroyed, largest in state history. Thoughts and prayers to all in harm’s way!  

Anyway, back to the point. There was a great story on a local station about volunteer firefighters away from families and livelihoods for almost two weeks. They put down their regular duties to volunteer in trying to protect others’ cherished possessions. Yep, heard that right, kissed loved ones good bye and said, “Gotta go help those in need.” My buddy, Billy Mac from Hackensack, would call that, “Chargin’ from the foxhole.” Volunteer firefighters fighting the inferno knowing their personal homes and valuables were threatened by the raging inferno. Winning plays from these devoted men and women.

My mind wanders to Jay Elowsky. He owns the three Pasta Jay’s Italian restaurants. He’s also a Buff to the bone. We got to know each other well during my television sportscasting days in the Mile High City because I covered CU’s athletic teams and he fed them. Pasta Jay’s makes winning plays all the time with its commitment to helping others in the community with its generous ability to provide food for events at little, or no, cost. Thanks Pasta, for the winning plays.

Then Janet Elway and the YMCA of Denver come to mind. Six years ago they partnered to create one of the best parties of the year, “Janet’s Camp.” This fun-in the- summertime gathering generates revenue to help the Jim Hiner-led organization get as many kids into summer camps as possible. Many, for a variety of reasons, aren’t going and there’s a whole bunch of folks dedicated to supporting the “Y” wanting to change that reality. I was honored to be this year’s event host. The “Y” has a special place in my marrow: learned to swim, compete in athletics and grow as a person at the Raytown, Missouri YMCA. For anybody who might have worked there then, since, or now, thanks for all you do! Winning plays by a ton of folks.

What about us? Where could we, this week, maybe right here and now, decide it’s time to make a winning play wherever roaming - home, work and elsewhere?

I know, simple, not easy, right? Let’s give it our best shot, K? Winning plays rarely appear without tremendous struggle. It might be a raging fire, tough basketball opponent or life in the economically-challenged non-profit world, maybe not. Doesn’t matter. The bottom line is this: executing winning plays requires tremendous resolve. Oxford defines resolve as “to decide firmly.” Let’s decide firmly this week to making winning plays.

Good luck, we can do it!