With a last second, fantastic shot, a high school basketball player scored his team's winning point for the state championship. The boy became an instant hero at school and in his town. Everybody wanted a piece of him, and told him how great he was. All the attention and praise made the basketball star think of himself as a one man team.

His coach, wanting to set him straight before it was too late, called the boy into his office and asked him one simple question; “WHO PASSED YOU THE BALL?”.

People of every age have moments of success when they feel that what they accomplished, they did all on their own. But, when they take a closer look, as the basketball coach asked his star player to do, this is what they find. They didn't achieve their success all by themselves, SOMEBODY PASSED THEM THE BALL. That's what the coach wanted his star player to realize; before he was able to score the winning basket, someone had to pass him the ball.

Do you agree with the coach? Do you think that behind every personal achievement or success a person has, there is usually somebody who's playing backup, cheering him on, or helping him out?  Here's the way the coach explained things to his star player:

“Behind every basket you score, or every win of any kind you have in life, there’s someone who gave you a hand, who passed you the ball, like I said. He or she may not be recognized or even appreciated but THE PASSERS ARE THERE.... they’re everywhere if you just look for them. DO look for them whether they’re on your team, at school, in your family, at church and in the neighborhood. And when you find them, give them credit for helping you. They deserve it. Let them know you couldn't have done it without them.”

The coach taught his star an important lesson. He taught him HUMILITY. The basketball player learned that there's no such thing as a one-man team. He may be a hotshot player and he may be the star shooter on his team, but he couldn't have done it alone. And he learned one thing more: Whether on the basketball court or off it, when other people know you’re a team player, and that you appreciate their help, they will pass you the ball more often.

To learn more about Sport Psychology, go to the "Finding The Zone" series.