Your Next Play is Waiting

As 2025 comes to a close, I have spent some time (partially because of a virus that kept me home on a couch for much of Christmas week!) reflecting on the year and how life has changed so much for me in the last year. I keep coming back to a phrase I’ve written and talked about often: Next play. It’s a mindset definitely based in sports, but it fits life as well as anything I know. In basketball, you can’t replay the last possession—you can’t undo a mistake or stay the same after a success. You acknowledge what happened, learn from it, and move forward.

This year was definitely full of “next play” moments where life didn’t go exactly as I would have expected when it started. As you are aware, I retired from teaching, coaching, and being an athletic director in mid-2024 unsure of what the next chapter would look like. I stepped into mentoring through the IGCA, believing in giving back and supporting younger coaches, but still not knowing where that path would lead.

Then, other opportunities started to appear. I started working a bit with an area coach and team which led to being asked to coach an AAU team. Later, when the coach I had worked with resigned unexpectedly, I found myself back on the sideline coaching basketball again. Last fall, because of a lack of coaches, I also returned to volleyball as a 7th grade head coach, mentoring a former player who is now an assistant. I was also asked to serve as a color commentator for Riverhawk football—something completely new and outside my comfort zone.

None of that was part of a carefully written plan or part of goals I set for 2025. It came about because of having an open mind, a growth mindset, a belief in taking a risk, and a willingness to say yes without knowing exactly how things would turn out. It required trusting that moving forward—rather than standing still—was the right “next play”.

What I learned again this year is that growth rarely happens when everything feels settled. It happens in transition. It happens when roles change, when doors open unexpectedly, and when we commit to serving others while still challenging ourselves to learn and improve. Relationships deepened. Perspectives expanded. And the year reinforced that giving back and staying connected to people is always worth the effort.

As we approach 2026, many people will make resolutions—some big, some cautious, many forgotten by February! Maybe instead of a resolution, the better commitment is a mindset. When things don’t go as planned: next play. When a door closes: next play. When an opportunity appears that feels uncomfortable: next play.

You don’t need to have the entire year mapped out. You just need to be willing to keep moving, keep learning, and keep investing in people. That’s where growth happens. That’s where purpose is found.

I have been asked many times in the last year and a half: why are you still working? Why don’t you stay retired and enjoy doing nothing? It’s because life needs to have purpose…something to look forward to and something that motivates us to keep moving forward and growing while staying connected to people. If you don’t have those things, life is an even bigger challenge and can send us in the wrong direction. I want to continue to move “onward and upward” and hope you will always keep yourself open to opportunities that will allow you to do the same. The chapters of the book of your life should never end while you are alive….just keep adding new chapters to help you keep living!

As this year ends, I’m grateful for the unexpected turns, the chances to serve, and the reminder that the best seasons of life often come when we’re willing to step forward without all the answers. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and growing 2026 for you and your family—and to choosing the next play, again and again, as you progress through the year. Have a great week!

Coach K