I love basketball. I played growing up, I coached for five years, and now I oversee twelve coaches for boys basketball in my hometown. March is my favorite time of year, not just because it is my birthday, but because of March Madness. If you have been like me and watched the majority of the tournament, you have seen amazing games ending in overtime and even a couple being decided by a foul call made by a referee in the final seconds. However, in all this excitement, one story stands out.
I was scanning the internet looking for more articles on the Final Four teams and came across a story about Texas Tech. In the middle of the season, the team had a little mini collapse, losing three games in a row. The coach, Chris Beard, knew he had to do something. Hating the distraction of cell phones, which he had already banned at team dinners and other events, he decided to ban them at night. The remainder of the season, the team went 13-1. Now, tonight, they play for the NCAA Championship.
Recently, I participated on a panel following the documentary, Screenagers. We talked about the importance of establishing family values and guidelines around digital use. Although these conversations with young adults can be hard, they need to be able to unplug from the rest of the world and give their brains a break. The Texas Tech story provides a very interesting correlation between cell phone use and team focus and success.
The link below has the entire story. I am sure his players did not have their cell phones last night. I am sure they slept better without them. Regardless of what happens tonight, I am so proud of the example they set for young athletes today.
http://time.com/5565272/college-basketball-team-ban-cellphones/
