Micah's July Blog

2011-07-19

I’m a huge basketball fan. I’m most interested in college basketball, but I also enjoy the NBA, especially the Finals. I found this year’s NBA Finals extremely riveting. The Miami Heat, one of the most talented basketball teams in history, were defeated by the older, less talented Dallas Mavericks. In many ways, these teams were polar opposites, which is what made the series so interesting.

Dallas won the NBA Finals because they wanted the title more than Miami, not because they had more talent or a higher payroll (they certainly had neither). We can look to several points in the series to see evidence of this. Take a look at Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Mavs trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter and still won. They didn’t fret about being down late in the game; they dug deep within themselves and found a way to win.

Now take a look at Game 4. The Mavs’ leader, Dirk Nowitzki, fought through a 101 degree fever to carry his team to victory. Dirk scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and made what proved to be the game-winning shot with 14 seconds left. Finally, take a look at Game 6. The Heat looked great early in the game, and it appeared as though they would cruise to a victory. Dallas, though, never got rattled. They persevered, changed the momentum, and easily won Game 6 to give the franchise its first NBA title.

I believe we can learn one important lesson from the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. That lesson is this: If you desire to win anything in life, you have to want to succeed more than your opponents. If you want to win a state title in sports, work harder than your competitors in the weight room and on the practice field. If you want a first place trophy at ICDC, prepare for competition more diligently than any other DECA member. If you want to be the valedictorian of your class, study more than your peers.

In the end, success comes down to hard work and determination.

Please feel free to contact me at any time. You can reach me at decavpmicah@gmail.com.

DECA Wishes,

Micah Melling
Central Region Vice President