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“It’s what you learn after you know everything.”

John Wooten

By 2001 we had experienced a lot of success so I was pretty full of myself. Nelson “Pops” Berry was sitting on some dummies at the first day of tryouts that year. Pops coached with the dream team of coaches back in the 60’s and 70’s. Tom Cook, Joe Hall, Bruce Spiro, John Wooden and Pops were legends in Vienna.

I hadn’t seen him in years. I asked: “Coach, do you want to yell at these kids”. He gets up off the dummies and started yelling and waving his cane around. He scared the hell out of me and the players. The 60’s were back. He took those kids over the hill and all we heard was yelling and crying. That group was never the same. That was the year we won Vienna’s first central championship.

Pops stayed with me for a few years and then moved to North Carolina, but every Sunday we talked. Here’s a powerful Sunday conversation:

Pops: ” There is a big difference between Athletic Arrogance and Arrogance.”

Casey: “Stop”

Silence for 2 minutes. I knew he just said something powerful and I needed to get my arms around it. He waited,

Casey: “Define that”

Pops: ”Athletic Arrogance is a cocktail of PASSION, FEARLESSNESS, AGGRESSION, CONFIDENCE, WORK ETHIC, and HEART, but must be accompanied by “TEAM FIRST” MENTALITY, HUMILITY and the DISCIPLINE and INTELLIGENCE to know when to use which trait.”

Arrogance- ”are A*&^%$#.” Let’s just say you will know it when you see it and you won’t like it.

That explains why people:

 Love Michael Jordan and don’t LeBron James.

 Love Jerry Rice and not TO.

 Love the old Brett Favre and not the new Brett Favre.

 Respect the new Kobe more than the old Kobe.

 Love Alex Ovechkin and not Albert Hainesworth.

 Like Derek Jeter and not Alex Rodrigez.

 Like the Pittsburgh Steelers and not the Dallas Cowboys.

If someone in youth leagues, high school or college had just taught the right column about “Humility” and “Team First” mentality, they would be on the left column.

It was Pops who brought: Humility, caring, passion and a huge knowledge base to our Plan.

Pops forces thoughtfulness and self examination. He makes me write out everything that went wrong in a “Pops list” after every game and season. This allows you to open your eyes, evolve and get better every week. As the season goes on the Pops list gets smaller and smaller as the team nears perfection and the championship run. One of the most powerful quotes in the book is:

Turn your weakness into your strengths

Darryl Royal

The Pop’s list helps you do just that. Every team needs a Pops.