Jealousy can destroy a team. A lot of it comes from outside people saying, “You can do this and you can do that” or “the only reason you can’t do it is because that other player is getting two more shots than you are.”

It’s funny when you think about it, but that happens and then you start buying into it, and you start saying, “Yeah, I should be playing more.” But whatever God has for you, you will have. Nobody else can take that away. If you’re not getting the playing time you should get or the recognition you should get, work harder. Work harder. Don’t sit there and blame somebody else for what they’re doing.

Last year, the youth football team I coach won the championship in double overtime, and this Saturday, as the new season starts, we will begin the quest of defending our title. We have essentially the same players we had last year, only this year, we have the confidence behind us to believe that anything is possible if we do three things: think we are talented, athletic, smart and victorious; give 100 percent of our effort in everything we do; and believe in our hearts that God will be with us.

As we gear up to defend the title, I’m reminded that my job as a coach is not to be satisfied with producing a winning record, but with producing winning athletes. To accomplish that goal this season, I will be asking my players six questions:

Many discussions about this year’s men’s Final Four have been filled with a number of main storylines: VCU and their improbable run, Butler’s incredible two-year dominance, UConn’s amazing post-season string, and Kentucky’s resilience. As story after story emerges about each team and their journey, members of each squad are discussing their season’s defining moments.