A Patriot is a person who loves his or her country and is ready to boldly support and defend it. I believe being an OC Patriot goes much deeper than that. This is true because it involves being in a relationship. In relationship knowledge is gained, life lessons learned are hard to measure. What is learned is written on the hearts and minds of every member who participates and experiences the OC Patriot GBB program.

COMMITMENT

The success of the program always begins with a commitment. I place great value on the word COMMITMENT. When you say yes to being a Patriot, then you understand you have said yes to entering a relationship with all coaches, players, and everyone involved in the program. With that commitment comes enormous responsibility. Essentially, it means that I am going to expect the best from you, and you can expect the best from me. We will hold each other accountable for a perfect effort in everything we do. It isn’t enough to show up. If you are committed to something in life, then a full commitment must be infused into everything we stand for and everything we do as a team.

Determined

It is not enough to just show up to practice. What makes our work ethic special is that we are committed to hard work. We will not just go through the motions. We will put in sweat, tears, pain and the dedication necessary to ready ourselves for high level competition. This will galvanize us as a team, and through this process we will be ready for anything as a team!

Achievement

Our success begins when our preparation meets opportunity. Greatness can and will be achieved when we are committed to hard work. For a Patriot preparation can be long, tedious and difficult, however, when the opportunity for greatness arises, we will be prepared for the moment. We will be able to rest in the fact that no opponent has out worked us. Patriots prepare well and when ready, we welcome, not fear our opportunities.

Goals

We are committed to achieving short-term, long-term and individual goals. These goals are not a wish list. We must figure out actions, behavior and attitudes necessary to accomplish those goals. Every goal must be accompanied with a plan of action.

Accountability

I make a promise that I will be there for you and I expect to be able to count on you being there for me. Accountability is the promise that you will give your team a perfect effort during the layup drill, shooting drill, 4 on 4 shell, defense, sprints, being on time to practice and games. To be able to claim that you are “accountable” is one of the most challenging things but it is also one of the most rewarding things a Patriot will do!

Integrity

Trust and Honesty is foundational to being a Patriot. It takes courage to ask for help and to be ready to help your teammates. It begins with an honest evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses. You must be vulnerable about the things you do well and things you struggle with. You fool yourself as coaches and players, if we think that we have arrived and do not need to improve. Also, our word must be our bond. We must believe in the words we say and trust in the person saying the words.

Fearless

To be a Patriot you must be fearless. This is more than just being brave in the face of tough opposition. It is having the courage to conquer your fears and your own cowardly spirit. It is moving beyond that little voice inside that says, “I can’t, it is too hard. I am not good enough.” The biggest reason we don’t achieve great things is because we don’t believe we can. We place obstacles in our own way, sabotaging our own efforts for success. It takes courage, determination and hard work to remove those obstacles and push past the limits we have placed upon ourselves.

Sisterhood

Patriots must have a commitment to creating a sisterhood among us. This task is bigger, tougher and more elusive than any opponent we face on the court. It is the understanding that you must be willing to give of yourself in order to find others. Individual egos must die for a team to live. It is learning how to be a team player and putting others needs before your own. To claim you are a good teammate or team player simply means you know how to SACRIFICE for a just cause, cooperate with your fellow Patriots, respect the dignity of others and respond when called upon.

Love

Love is the thing that separates the good programs from the great programs. We will win and have continued success when our players choose to love each other. Words are nice but they are not enough. Actions speak the truth of love. Love means I can count on you, and you can count on me. Love will drive all the other virtues that are written above. Being responsible to all teammates and all coaches is not easy. You pride yourself on being accountable in love. You commit that your contributions to the team will be your perfect effort. These commitments extend to all facets of your life. It’s how you conduct yourself as a person, on and off the court and in the Orange County community. Wherever you go or whatever you do, you carry your OC Patriots teammates with you knowing full well that you are connected to a group that loves, accepts and respects you. We will work hard to break down any walls that might separate us as a Program. We will love well.