By Robert Davis
Editor in chief
The Citrus College basketball team is 23-3 and is ranked third in the state by the California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association, but the Owls aren’t getting cocky. The Owls credit their motivation and humble approach to each game for their success.
Last year, the Owls lost in the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship Quarterfinals to their rivals, West L.A. Now, they’re using this loss as motivation to come back with a vengeance.
Shooting guard Jayden Johnson said the Owls are taking all the emotions they felt after their loss into this season
“Whenever we have success, (we) keep doing what we’re doing to get that success because we don’t wanna feel like we felt when we lost,” Johnston said.
The Owls beat West L.A. 112-85 in January, but Johnston said the Owls are not done yet.
“Keep watching out for us, because I think we’re going all the way,” Johnston said.
While Johnston looks to the past for motivation, forward Uriah Foster said he stays in the present to find success.
Foster came from a college in Washington where he said “winning was very common” but after coming to Citrus, Foster said he’s grateful to be a part of a “winning culture.”
Foster credited this winning culture to his coaches who keep his team “locked in.”
“The whole coaching staff is really good at keeping us locked in and taking one game at a time, one practice at a time, one play at a time. … (we) stay in the present,” Foster said.
While Johnston and Foster focus on the past and present, point guards Lance Rodrigues and Rudy Suarez Jr. both said they use the future to motivate them.
Rodrigues said even after a win, he comes into the next game with the mentality that he lost in his last game. Rodrigues says by doing this he doesn’t get complacent and is always focused on his next game.
Suarez has a similar approach as he said he’s always “focused on the next game, taking it one game at a time.”
Suarez said this method of looking into the future is something taught to him by the coaches.
“(Coaches) tell us to appreciate the wins but just focus on what’s next,” Suarez said.
Although the players attribute their success to the coaching staff, head coach Brett Lauer said that “players definitely win the games. It’s not the coaches. It’s not the game plan. The players win the games.”
Lauer said his coaching staff is successful because the coaching staff has no ego. Lauer said this gives the team a mindset that allows them to be confident but not arrogant in success.
The confident but humble mindset of the Owls can teach a valuable lesson in the power of a growth mindset and the importance of taking things one step at a time.
