Give Us Your Best Shot

Posted by Karen Chatterton on February 25, 2008

 
‘One of the Best Shots’ (Glenn James – NBAE/Getty Images)

Some shots are just better than others and some are forever imbedded in your memory. Take Stockton’s play off shot. I don’t need to say anything else, everybody can still see it in their minds– it lives in the annals of great-shot history.

“The best shot is when somebody on the team goes for any type of shot when there’s 10 seconds on the clock. It’s always exciting to see the buzzer shot!” -LC.

I often ask my students to give me their “best shots” regarding doing school work. The question in their minds seems to be, “What does my best look like?” When I use the analogy of basketball, they get the picture of doing their best under the circumstances.

I have to agree that these kinds of shots are what we hope to see. If you look at these shots as a teacher, they’re not the kinds of “best shots” you hope to see in school. I would much prefer seeing my students perform a “slam dunk” assignment–preferably way before the shot clock counts down the last 10 seconds “I think that the most fun shot to watch is the ally-oop!” RL

My personal favorite is anytime the team passes the ball around, creating the “best shot.”

Just like basketball players, kids have a wide range of abilities, talents, strengths and areas that could use some improvement. The students I worry about are the ones who wait to see if they can make the “buzzer beater” to win the game, instead of steadily, constantly and consistently doing their best. When you translate “best work” into Jazz basketball this is what the kids said was the “best shot.”

What’s your best shot? How often to do you try to make one? I hope you tell your own kids (if you have some), about what you did to along the way to find your best shot. I hope they’re watching when you make it.

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