Beyond the Lines: Letting Go of Ego to Lift Each Other Up

I lived for the opportunity to compete “between the lines.” 

Once the game started, friendship went out the window. The game just programs you that way. 

But as I evolved, I realized something important: I had to stop leading with my ego—and learn to separate who I was on the court from who I was off the court—as a friend, a teammate, a person. 

Over the years, I have seen far too many athletes carry that same competitive mindset into their personal relationships. But off the court, we are not in competition. Not as friends. Not as peers. Not as people striving to grow. 

It’s okay to support someone. 

It’s okay to encourage them. 

It’s okay to be genuinely happy to see another athlete succeed—even if they rise higher than you. 

Two of my fiercest competitors have become some of my closest friends in life. Why? Because we chose to drop the ego and be real with one another. We allowed space for vulnerability—and that built connection. 

Here is the truth: 

We can accomplish so much more by collaborating—by sharing wisdom, ideas, and resources. 

It still blows my mind to see someone, years removed from the game, still viewing others as “competition” because of something that happened between the lines. 

We are beyond that now. 

Let’s win together—off the court, too. 

~ Coach Delmont