“Still in the top ten, baby,” Eric bragged as he showed off the third place trophy he’d won in a high school basketball tournament.
“Wasn’t a good day for you, was it?” his older brother George commented during the drive home.
“What? I did okay,” said Eric. “I may not have won, but--”
“You think I’m talking about the tournament, but I’m not,” said George. “You missed a bunch of shots during practice.”
“Oh, those don’t count,” Eric assured him.
“Trust me, they count,” said George. “Twelve. In a row. Missed. That’s just unacceptable.”
“But me and the guys were just goofing off,” said Eric. “What’s the big deal? You know I’m better that that.”
“Sure, I know you’re better than that. But some of the best coaches from the NCAA were there today. And you know what they said to me when they saw you goofing around? They said, ‘Your little brother isn’t bad, but he’s not much of a shooter is he?’”
“What? Oh man, who was there? Please don’t tell me Coach Stevens was there!”
“It’s not just about who might be watching,” said George. “It’s about having respect for the game you play and taking pride in your talent. Good coaches look for those qualities in players.”
“Aw, man, I feel so stupid,” Eric said.
“Just let this be a lesson to you,” said George. “If it’s worth the effort, it’s worth your best effort.”