patrickanderson.ca

I left things hanging yesterday with a hint.  I should rather have called it a cryptic clue, but anyway.   John 3:30 simply says, “He must increase, I must decrease.”  John the Baptist said it in reference to Jesus, but that’s not really relevant here.   

What I wanted to convey is the idea of getting out of the way.   

I’ll back up a bit.  My experience playing with Team Canada from ‘97 to ‘08 was nearly perfect.  No, we didn’t win everything.   But we won our share.  And I feel like I maximized my potential, all things considered.  What more could I ask for?

Immediately after winning Worlds in Amsterdam in ‘06, I felt a seismic shift.  It was like a rubber band had suddenly snapped inside me.  It was alarming.  I hadn’t realized just how tightly wound up I’d been.  It was also thrilling.  I could sense the beginning of the end.  And a new beginning.

Three years later, that new beginning remains enigmatic.  The beginning of what? I’ve explored, plotted, advanced, retreated.  Been to music school and back.  Seen wild visions of new wheelchair basketball leagues and discovered that I have friends who’ve seen them too.  I’ve talked about everything and tried anything.

So what does that have to do with getting out of the way?  Well, simply this.  That kind of distracted focus is obviously not the soul of a successful national team program.  Neither is talent or skill level in my opinion.  What drives a program is the passion to compete.  And once that passion has run its course, it’s time to step aside and clear the road for someone else.

One might counter that the pursuit of excellence is the soul of sport.  But that pursuit does not happen in a vacuum.  The thrill of competition is the spark that ignites the pursuit of excellence.  Not once like a forest fire, but again and again, like an engine. 

I’ll leave it there for now.  

Big game coming up for us tomorrow ie. Friday.  Canada vs Brazil at 5pm PDT.  I look forward to seeing how we handle their passion.  They’re rather excitable.

                                                (photo: Bogetti-Smith – www.bogetti.com)

Today is my last game.  We play an experienced, cagey Mexican team tonight at 5pm PDT to wrap up the round robin.  Both teams are 2-0 so far, meaning the winner will finish first in Pool A.  Same scenario on the other side where Brazil and the USA will play to determine first place in Pool B.  That game is at 7pm.   You can watch both live at sportscanada.tv or archived at wheelchairbasketball.ca.

After that, I will slip back into my housecoat and slippers and smoke my pipe on the sidelines while the rest of the guys suit up for the quarterfinals tomorrow.

I will admit I’m having a little trouble explaining to myself and others why I don’t want to do this anymore.  As I survey my immediate surroundings and latest experiences, “this” means having fun on the court, being part of a great team, mixing with the international basketball community, showing off with cameras around, and staying in multiple-star hotels. (ONLY 4 pillows per bed though?  Really Sheraton?!)  

That’s not to mention all the other exciting and fulfilling aspects of competing internationally.  Representing Canada, traveling the globe, playing on the world stage.  It’s where talent meets passion meets resources (increasingly).  A highly addictive cocktail that is the pursuit of excellence.

And I’m sure there are other perks I’m forgetting at the moment.

So why not keep playing? 

Answer coming tomorrow.

(Hint – John 3:30)

What better time to live in the past than my 30th birthday.   My friend Anna Parisi who works for the CPC emailed me this photo yesterday and wondered aloud what a thought bubble might reveal.  I don’t remember what I was saying or thinking, but I do know what Stouty was thinking: “There might be five people on this planet who can hold a bouquet of flowers while wearing a laurel wreath and still look like a badass.  I am one of those people.  Pat is not.”

Short and sweet.  That applies both to this unsolicited blog post and as well as to my upcoming stint with the national team.   For a variety of reasons, it made simple sense for me to join the Canadian team for the next 10 days for the America’s Cup Qualifier as an injury replacement.  While I’m at it, I figured it would be fun to resurrect this blog for a couple of weeks.  

Quick facts – the ACQ will determine the three teams that will represent our zone at next summer’s World Championships in Birmingham, England.  Considering that Canada and the USA have met in every Qualifier final since at least ‘98, it wouldn’t be shocking to see it happen here in Vancouver.  But anything can happen.  

My plan is to play in the round robin and help the team set the table for the big crossover games at the end of the tournament.  That’s as far as my playing contribution will go.   From that point on, I’ll be as curious as anyone to see how our guys do in the medal rounds.  No Jaimie, Stouty, Ross Norton, or Brett Fa…I mean Pat.  That’s 33% of our Sydney/Athens/Beijing teams, and three starters.   

But there’s a small batch of new guys who are working their way into the team.  Smart, disciplined players.

And of course, we still have Joey, the Daves, Bear, Yvon, Bo, and Abdi from Beijing.  And Adam, who’s been filling my shoes.  Get it?!   Thank you.  I’ll be here all week.

Two links to share…

1 – For more info about the ACQ tournament, click here.

2 – To watch the tournament online, click here.