Diary Series: Carm Maciariello, Asst. Coach - BU

We ask our players to be honest. We ask them to be honest with themselves; to be honest with their teammates and to be honest with the effort they put forth daily. This is an acquired skill. Some players will play hard when it’s 5-on-5 live. Others give it up in a shell drill, knowing it’s the action of an opponent.  Wanting to prove to us they can lock in to the other team’s action and earn minutes. Certain players will put forth maximum effort in a sprint so they don’t have to run again at the end of practice. How about the weight room? Every second you have on that Terrier jersey, maximum effort should be exerted leaving nothing in the tank for the next task at hand. There are many different motivating factors for players and it is our job to know which lever to pull or button to push.

As coaches it is a skill to get this effort every day and to know how to get the most from our players collectively and individually. This is where we teach; asking our guys to look in the mirror. Have they given their all on the court, in the classroom and in the community?  This is also where senior leadership comes in and the character of your team shows its colors. Do your leaders lead by example? Are they doing the right thing when no one is watching all the time? This is where the culture of the program shines through and at the end of the day the players must be honest with themselves first before the player next to them.  When it is all said and done, it is our job to make them aware. Through film breakdown, on the floor demonstration or commenting during certain parts of practice with what must improve, it is our job to make them mindful. The players must realize in order to be a great TEAM, each player, no matter who they are, must be HONEST with themselves and with the effort they put forth daily!

It is an Honor to play for any University and to get a free education, to play the game we all love.  It is unacceptable to not put the effort forward to be the best student-athlete that you can be. There is an expectation to be on time to class and participate actively. Be as engaged in class as you are to Coach in the huddle down a bucket on the road with 30 seconds to go.  

“Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.”

Walter Anderson