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A review by madeleinegeorge
Hard Work: A Life On and Off the Court by Roy Williams
5.0
I was raised on North Carolina basketball. And until two years ago, Tar Heel nation answered to Roy Williams. I've always said that my work ethic as a student, director, and a writer has come largely from an adolescence spent in sports; nothing reflects that quite like this memoir. Williams has a lot to teach everyone: his players, his fans, his fellow coaches. They're all things I've consciously brought into my own practice as a leader: hunting for quotes, poems, and words outside your own to inspire those around you, insisting on a daily display of excellence, never failing to understand that you are only as good as the team behind you, and their happiness, success, and security should come before your own. Williams demands an atmosphere of mutual appreciation and togetherness, even when it means being intransigent on things like punctuality, teamwork, and group cohesion -- he recognizes that it's the only way we can communicate respect and care for one another.
Despite not attending UNC for undergrad or graduate school (... much to everyone's surprise), I always have been and will always be a Tar Heel born, bred, and dead. Watching my brother realize his lifelong dream of playing in the Dean Dome, wearing a UNC jersey, and being officially a part of the Carolina family has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Following the Heels around the country as they played toward the championship, sitting a row in front of Roy himself as we ended Coach K's career at that Final Four game in NOLA, joining the boys for a quiet night out after late-night, holiday games and standing with them in the hall of champions after a tough loss-- each and every moment is so enchanting, so special, and so blessed. Every day is a Great Day to be a Tar Heel -- and Roy Williams knows it.
Despite not attending UNC for undergrad or graduate school (... much to everyone's surprise), I always have been and will always be a Tar Heel born, bred, and dead. Watching my brother realize his lifelong dream of playing in the Dean Dome, wearing a UNC jersey, and being officially a part of the Carolina family has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Following the Heels around the country as they played toward the championship, sitting a row in front of Roy himself as we ended Coach K's career at that Final Four game in NOLA, joining the boys for a quiet night out after late-night, holiday games and standing with them in the hall of champions after a tough loss-- each and every moment is so enchanting, so special, and so blessed. Every day is a Great Day to be a Tar Heel -- and Roy Williams knows it.