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On the Secret to a Championship Season

When asked what the single biggest factor was in his team's run to a state title, Coach Matthew Klein dismisses the idea of a secret formula. "Honestly, it came down to a concept we preached from day one: competitive trust. It's easy to trust each other when things are going well, but we built a culture where our players trusted each other most in the toughest moments. It meant our best shooter trusted the 10th man on the scout team to push him in practice every single day. It meant the point guard trusted that if he made the extra pass, his teammate would be ready to knock down the shot. We didn't win because we had the most raw talent; we won because we were the most connected team, and that trust was our armor during the tournament." 🏆

Looking beyond the court, Coach Klein emphasizes a lesson that has little to do with X's and O's. "The most important thing I hope my players learn is how to respond. In a game, and in life, you're going to make mistakes. You'll turn the ball over, miss a defensive assignment, or get a bad call from a ref. You have about five seconds to be frustrated. After that, your character is revealed in your response. Do you pout and blame someone else, or do you sprint back on defense and make a play? Teaching them to own their mistakes and immediately focus on the next positive action is more important than any championship trophy, because that's a skill they will use for the next 50 years."

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Matthew Klein

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