Gerald Reece: A life worth remembering

Eulogy

All along this life we are helped by those that don't truly recognize what a difference they make in your life.  I had been trying to reach Gerald Reece over the years at various points with no success and then the other day, I get a message from one of his friends that says that Gerald has passed away.

Saddened because I didn't get the chance to talk to him and tell him how important he was in my career.  But I did get to speak with Anthony his friend and asked, "hey how did you get in touch with me, how did you find me?"  He said that ironically they had just purchased my book, Take Your Shot, Make Your Play and read about Gerald and that's how they found me.

Gerald Reece in book

I am about to speak about what Gerald meant to me and more importantly what message that he gave to me and I am sharing with you. I hope you enjoy. 

Gerald Reece Eulogy September 29, 2019

A life worth remembering

Bruce Lee once said, “The key to immortality, is first, to live a life worth remembering!”

I’m going to share with you what I remember from Gerald in his voice as it was told to me during those formidable years that we were together.

I know a lot of people struggle with self-worth and I wish that there was an easy answer to tell you that would be enough to simply be alive.  That being a person makes you valuable and will give you the self-worth that you want.  But you know that is B.S.  At the end of the day, you have to earn that self-worth; you have to decide what is a life that is worth remembering? 

What is a life that is going to give you that sense of self? What are you going to do to have to earn that?  Because you have to earn that.  There is no way to stumble and fumble through life hoping that it will someday add up to something that makes you feel good inside. 

At the end of the day that is the only thing that matters.  How you feel about yourself when you are by yourself.  When there are no distraction, no noise.  Only the sound that is inside your head.  What are you saying?  Do you believe in yourself?  Do you know you can do it?  Have you put in the work?  Because the reality is to become someone that you respect.  It doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks.  You can have the love and adoration of every person on this planet and still hate yourself. 

That’s why the only thing that matters is what you and how you think of you.  The only way to get to a life that is worth living that you will judge is worthy is to put in the work.  It’s to do the hard things, to look at what you really want.  Be honest with yourself, if you knew you couldn’t fail what would that be and are you actually doing that or are you afraid you might fail?  That you will embarrass yourself?  Are those the things that affect your decision?  Are those the things that keep you small?  Are those the things that dictate the life you live? 

Because if they are, you are that person that no matter how much other people love you, you’re never going to love yourself.  Because in your heart you know you could be more.  There is something that is in us, inside all of us that pushes us to be the most that we can be. 

I’ve heard it said that Hell is to meet the person you could have been at death and realize that you are not even a shadow of that person.  And that Heaven is to meet the person you could have been and see yourself staring back at you! 

If that’s true and that is the meaning of all of this, then all the fame, money, doesn’t mean anything, what matters is that you have potential and that you do something with that potential!  That is what the meaning of life is:  How can I manifest that potential inside of me into something tangible.  To do something with it.  To create something with it.  

Create something that matters to you. 

Then you are truly living a life that is worth remembering. 

Coach John Saintignon

Pay it Forward

What is this?  We hear of it from time to time.  Pay it forward.  Today I decided what it would mean to me was to call those that helped me along my journey and to let them know how much I appreciate them doing so from the heart. 

In my book, "Take Your Shot, Make Your Play" I wrote in the first chapter that there were those individuals who took you under their wings and helped to shape and guide you along and you may or maynot have even know that.  One of these was my hero/idol, Carlos Serrano. 

I told him how much he impacted my life, how much I admired him and that he gave me the inspiration to fight, to have the look in my eyes with a drive and a determination.  I used to run to the front gate each time I heard him start his motorcycle because I could hear it from across the street.  I loved watching how he would come out of his house, leathers, boots, helmet and a dirt bike that was heaven sent and would just come out with a determination.  You could sense it.  I loved the sight, the sound, the smell of the exhaust. 

Watching him practice for hours was a thing of beauty and inspirational as he was the only one training in the desert on his homemade built track.  He was so committed to being the best that it rubbed off on me.  I wanted to be a motocross racer like him, but my calling was to be a basketball player.  Oddly, he was inspired by me he said today on the phone.  He said he never saw someone who would just go and go and ended up playing a sport where no one thought I could make it.

A brief list of his accomplishments:  Inducted Class of 2012: Hall of Fame

A graduate of Sunnyside High School in 1975, Carlos Serrano became a motocross competitor the following year. His resume is filled with victories before he retired from full-time racing in 1997. He competed on the professional level in Motocross, Supercross, Superbikes and at the International Grand Prix level.

In 1980 Serrano won the Gran Premio Armistad, Mexico’s biggest motocross event. The same year he won the Copa de Cuba 125 and 250 class, Cuba’s most coveted national event. He captured the 1983 Italian International Series.

In the 1990s Serrano began racing stock cars in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series and won numerous main events at Tucson Raceway Park. Since retiring from the travel of motocross, Serrano opened his own business in Tucson in 2001 that specializes in racecar fabrication and set-up that soon expanded into dirt bike and ATV race preparation and suspension tuning.

In January of this year Serrano received the Legends & Heroes Award at the AMA Supercross World Championship at Chase Field in Phoenix, the only rider to receive this award.

From 1991-94 Serrano received a number of awards from NASCAR while competing at Tucson Raceway Park,

Carlos Serrano  Click on this link to see a video interview:

Listen, do yourself a favor.  Give that someone a call, you will brighten up their day, you never know what it can do for you down the line.  Pay it Forward.  I am so happy that I got to speak to my idol this morning and to let him know deep from my heart what he meant to me growing up and to this day.

Respectfully,

John Saintignon

Coaching conversation with Nick Hays

Coaching: 

On this past Sunday I had an activity to do with my son at his high school, Mater Dei.  As I drove to the event I spoke with Mr. Nick Hays.  This gentleman we didn’t know each other before as I reached out to him as I am always in search of knowledge of how to be a better coach, a better leader.

Mr. Hays it turns out grew up in my hometown of Tucson, Arizona so automatically we hit it off and got to talking about the city, etc., before I dug into what I wanted to learn from him.  You see Mr. Hays is a former Navy Seal and I believed that I could learn something from him as another coach in the NBA and NCAA told me to reach out to him.

Mr. Hays has an incredible story, one that I will never forget.  It began with me asking what does it take to be a Seal.  We all think it’s just the “Hell Week” but it takes much more than that.  He stated that you know today we want things quick, there is an App for that, a pill for this, microwave for food.  But the true perspective for him becoming a Seal was this:  boot camp: couple months.  A school for a job: 3 months.  Then N doc: a month long.  Then “Hell Week” for a week, 200 miles, lack of sleep, etc.  Diving 2 months long, 3^rd phase: diving and shooting, 2 months.  You still don’t get to wear the Trident until you learn how to jump out of planes and then Seal Qualifying school which is another 4 to 5 months where you are now doing tactics, then cold weather training in Alaska, then…you get to be a Trident.  But you haven’t proven a thing…only that you’re not going to quit.  Which is really the number 1 thing that you should be proud of. 

At the end, now you join your Seal Team.  Time to train.  There are new guys and experienced guys.  3 or 4 months of professional development, specific training.  Then you work together as a team on various projects, very specific stuff.

A year and half before you ever go out on deployment:  3 or 4 years of preparation before you even step foot on a battlefield. That’s preparation.  That’s what it takes to be elite.

But the best part of this entire conversation was when I asked him, what about as it pertains to me being a coach.  What could you share?  This was where I sat in my car in the parking lot of Mater Dei and literally shed tears because of how powerful this message was to me.

Coach or mentor?  In his first platoon, he shows up cocky.  Not humbled yet, showed up 2 minutes late to morning meeting.  Walks in late, but the platoon leader asks him to stay after the meeting.  He proceeds to tell Nick, not a big deal, but everyone had to wait on him for the meeting but that he wanted him to do him a favor and after all things were done for the day, to fill a backpack anyup to 50 lbs., of weight and run up the tower, 5 stories, 1 time for every guy in the platoon to call it even.  He said he was furious, he has to run up tower, 20 times, he didn’t feel the punishment fit the crime.  But he does anyway…but he is told that he has to do it after the work was done for the day.  That night they had a nightdive routine, late night, recover late at midnight, then clean the equipment, rinse down, etc., by the time that is done, it’s now 1am, and he heads over to the tower but he sees his platoon leader there and he is now livid because he believes the platoon leader is questioning his integrity.  Does he not trust me to do this? 

But as he gets closer he sees his platoon leader with a backpack filled with 50lbs and proceeds to tell Nick, you prepared to do this?  He proceeds to tell Nick, that we are doing this together, your failures are my failures, your successes are my successes.  I’m your leader, we are in this together.  They ran every single flight of stairs for the next couple of hours.  The leader never gave Nick a hard time, they talked about life and he never brought this up to Nick again.  What Nick learned, he grabbed him and made him feel special.  He committed himself as his mentor! 

From that point forth, Nick said that he made every single piece of equipment that he had for any type of training, to be just like his platoon leader.  He trusted him.  He learned about parenting, being a father, about character.  That is what a leader does!

The next thing was great and certainly affirmed what I believe.  Character vs. talent.  I can relate to this as many teams are assigned more to those with talent and not concerned that much with the character too much.  Be concerned more with culture than potential cancer.  Surgery is tough, but it’s better than dying of cancer.  Place a higher value on those that you wish to coach!  Character, teach ability, the ability to work with others, then the sky is the limit.  Then you bring in young talent and they have the influencers above them who will show them the way with the culture. 

These were just a sample of this type of conversation that I try to have almost daily with people in life.

Awesome!

Coach John Saintignon

Coach John Saintignon

Use basketball as a tool to get your education!

This has always been the motto that I have used with our athletes:  Use basketball as a tool to get your education.  And with my professional athletes the direction has always been to get them thinking about what they are going to be doing with their brand to capture all that they can while they are still playing the game.

This type of conversation was incredible yesterday as I heard from those that I have helped who are now seniors to be entering their final seasons.  It was especially rewarding to talk with Kelvin Jones of Creighton University who truly was asking for my help as he opened up his NCAA Division 1, Big East Conference and NCAA Tournament quest today in their opening practice.

We had a great conversation about the future.  What's next?  Big picture?  Career, making a difference, role model, life after basketball.  Being grateful for my advice and wanting to learn more about what comes next.  I tell you it was an incredible experience as I now try to convince those who are high schoolers just to let go of their ego and allow any university to speak to them, to teach their parents how the process truly is and to also not get caught up in the word, "free ride, full scholarship." 

A career versus gear is what I ask them?  What is it you want?  Nice stuff, or a career?  Return back to the university as a proud alumni because while you were there you contributed, made life long relationships and used basketball as a tool and now walk across the stage in May or June with a degree. 

One of the athletes, Ryan Haywood at UC Merced, is hurt.  Has learned how fragile the game can be, yet will be ready come the season.  He has performed, he has become one of the all time leaders in various categories and 1st Team All League, Captain, etc.  But had no hesitation in his voice, when I asked him, are you going to graduate this spring?  YES!

I wish you all the best!  I truly am grateful for allowing me the opportunity to coach then and now into the future!

Coach John Saintignon
www.johnsaintignon.com

To live with Honor, Integrity, Courage: Lessons from the Samurai.

  

So as I was doing my 20 miles on my bike at 530am this morning, I tend to listen to those folks who will inspire me or simply my own music, but this morning I was reviewing the lessons learned from my participation this past weekend in the Samurai Game^®.
The Samurai Game^® is a challenging and psychologically intense simulation game in which participants cross a psychological boundary where they operate under unfamiliar modes of relationship, governance and consequences.

Requiring no special equipment and no advance preparation (other then a willingness to learn), participants in The Samurai Game^® come face to face with their personal integrity, their commitments and habitual ways of dealing with challenges and uncertainty.

Participants in The Samurai Game® find themselves asking…

• When the going gets tough, rules do not easily apply, and the future is unclear—how do I show up as a leader? 
• When distractions are rampant, how do I remain present and focused on what matters most?
• When no one is watching and the consequences are uncertain, do I act with integrity?
• When my team’s integrity is tested to the limits—does it crack or get stronger?
• When I encounter challenges, can I tolerate the discomfort of new learning or do I retreat to the known and familiar?  

The Samurai Game^® allows you to safely cross a border beyond your everyday life, from which you may see yourself, your priorities, your habits with greater clarity. As a simulation game, The Samurai Game^® has rules and consequences, choices and results, risks and rewards–just like life.  But because it’s a simulation, you can make mistakes, explore new ways of being and acting, and learn without all of the risk.  Participants in the Samurai Game^® cultivate awareness, resourcefulness and decisiveness in challenging situations marked by uncertainty, ambiguity and chaos.

The Samurai Game^® involves no significant physical contact.  It simulates the intensity and immediacy of battle, but unfolds within a carefully designed and secure environment, providing participants with countless opportunities for self-reflection and insights that apply to business, government, community and daily life.

Participants in the Samurai Game^® routinely experience…

• The power of team commitment and collaboration
• A new understanding of the value of trust and integrity for leadership performance 
• The difference between “talking the talk” and “walking the walk”
• The power of meeting challenges in a centered and grounded way

I learned so much by observing what it was like to be a team member and reflect to how a member of a team is made to feel.  Everyone on a team is important to the victory in a battle.  Simple things like knowing the names, eye contact, encouragement and valuing all contributions that each warrior contributes.  I went to learn about living, fighting and dying with Honor, Integrity and Courage and came away with countless lessons that I see now each day in all my interactions.  

What a memorable experience.  Search for ways to improve what you do in life.  Seek knowledge, talk to others who have a new and different perspective that you have, to learn.  You never know what it will do for you and can provide you in your future and present moment.

Respectfully,

Coach John Saintignon

www.johnsaintignon.com

Questions with John Saintignon regarding China

So yesterday I was listening to a podcast and there was a guest named, Tony Ronzone, who was talking about some of the stories of basketball within the world.  There was a lot of questions that were about China and we had some very similar experiences.

I first got invited to China when I was at Oregon State University as Coach Jim Rosborough from the University of Arizona called me to say that he was going to invite me to be one of the coaches that was selected to be a part of a Nike Factory event which was a huge project to try to find the top 24 players within the country to play against NBA players in an outdoor exhibition.  We had to go to cities all over the country, and hold tryouts, like in a camp setting, then discover the best and then bring them all together and you know, eventually get it down to 2 teams of 12.  Crazy. 

My city was Shanghai that I was responsible for.  We had so many players, we lost count, over 2000 showed up, oh man, I had to make a quick friend of a coaching legend who was on the sideline watching that I had heard was there to observe.  I respectfully asked him to help me.  He graciously accepted my offer and I had a set of eyes that were there to help me, we eventually got down to that short list of 12 players, with whom we were able to send to Beijing to play and compete and represent not only themselves but their city against NBA players with Nike. It taught me that I was not the most important person there to select, that it was being humble and knowing that someone who was well respected could help me in an incredible way if I showed him respect and honor.

Moving on, dinners were something to behold.  I was taught by my parents to be respectful and try anything that I was ever offered, to never offend anyone.  That was seriously put to the test as we had some exotic food and it was difficult but I wanted to be a guest that was humble and respectful for being in their country and home.  The palate was challenged as everything was on display for one of the dinners including, duck feet, duck bill, scorpion, snake, etc.  I tried a few, wanting to be respectful. 

Later, my interpreter asked if I would meet with his parents as they wanted to have dinner with me.  Of course, I said yes, and it was spectacular.  I was honored and felt a sense of duty to meet with them since their son was working round the clock having to stay with me until I went to my hotel room.  For anyone that speaks another language, it is taxing on your mind to have to hear one language, then translate it to another and then back, much less a coach who is doing this all over the place and moving and shouting instructions.  Martin, was so incredible so when he said would I visit with his parents, well of course, was my response! 

We met at a restaurant outside of Shanghai, in a large private room.  Just Martin's parents, myself and Martin.  They didn't speak English and it was their first time meeting anyone outside of China.  The father was a General in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, so this was quite the honor and yet a bit intimidating.  I noticed that it was very formal at the onset, quiet at times and a bottle of clear liquid in front of us.  Now each time that there was a quiet moment, he would pour us this drink of strong alcohol.  Now I do what they do in other countries, so here I was drinking with him and we got to asking questions about family, ideals, morals and came to find out that we had similar ideas of raising our sons and how we approached life without having to discuss the advantages or disadvantages of Communism vs Capitalism.  I learned that I also had to trust my host as we had over 40 plates of incredible cuisine that it was a test to sample all of them, including this particular fish that I just loved.  I came to discover at the end of the dinner, that it was puffer fish and that if not properly cooked, well I could have died from it.  That brought out laughs and made me feel ok as I had to trust that evening.

We had such a wonderful and memorable dinner that I was so surprised by the outpouring of gifts that were bestowed upon me:  2 incredible hand woven paintings in their frames, 2 pearl necklaces.  We recently discovered the them when we went to Turlock to go through storage items for my son, Vicente's apartment at USC.  The boys both took the paintings and one sits proudly at USC and the other in Sebastian's room.  But more of a gift, was that I was honored to be the first person that this General got to meet who he could sit with, laugh, enjoy and know that the world view was similar in many respects.  Do you know that later, he would ask if I could help his son, enter a USA University, which I was delighted to write a letter of recommendation for and as he was accepted and got his Masters Degree from.

Basketball is a tool to get an education.  This game as provided me so many wonderful memories as I listened to that podcast in which Coach Ronzone shared some that were similar.  I hope to one day meet Coach Ronzone in person and share this with him.  Until then, make it a great day and remember that we are all alike when we get past our differences. 

Respectfully,
Coach John Saintignon
www.johnsaintignon.com