"Winning is a Habit"

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's Hall of Fame banquet on behalf of Donald Clark. Mr. Clark retired from Greene Central seven years ago, so if you're relatively new here, you may not know his name. But if you're from Greene County or know anything about tennis in North Carolina, you absolutely know him. Mr. Clark came to Greene Central and really wanted to coach baseball, but got asked to fill in as a tennis coach for a bit. Two years later he was 0-32 and really was considering giving it up. But he decided to study the teams that won consistently and copy them. The teams started winning and a few years later were regular contenders for the state championships. Take a look in the trophy case up front and you'll see a lot of tennis in there. Those are because of Mr. Clark. 

When he spoke for the crowd, he said something that resonated with me. He said he learned that winning was a habit and that when you start winning and know how to win, it's hard to stop. Think about how true that is. We sometimes attribute winning to key individuals or superstars in the field, but often when a culture of winning is developed, those teams (or groups) continue to do well after the superstar is gone. Our own tennis program is a great example of that. Mr. Clark has been gone for seven years, but our teams have continued to thrive. They expect to win.

Building a winning culture is hard to do and it doesn't change overnight because you worked hard for one year. Remember Mr. Clark started 0-32. But sustained effort builds upon itself and eventually, it adds up to a lot. We can all learn a lot from Mr. Clark beyond tennis. He is proof that time and dedication to anything can pay off and impact so many others. He taught a small farming community how to win against communities with country clubs, and he left us with a habit of winning.