LJ b BB: The need to stay in the 'bubble'

By Ed Piper

Every sports team, unless its purpose is a reality show, needs to live in a bubble.

A coach comes in, he or she creates a whole culture of thinking and playing that permeates the program. That's part of the way to being successful, as I see it.

Without the culture--an actual way of verbalizing things: "We play for each other", "I don't care if I score, I just want to put my teammates in a position to score"--they're just a group of individuals, without direction or purpose.

Of course, these phrases of which we're all too familiar can be just window dressing, quoted by a star player after a big win. A team has to actually have its players connect with one another as people, in addition to bringing the technical skills they possess in the sport, if it is going to go beyond the humdrum level.

Then, in my perceived progression of a unit's development, coach and players have to live in a kind of bubble in which things are different than they are outside the bubble.

In our culture, sports media make up a burgeoning entity in itself, living and feeding off even high school sports now (watch high school football games on cable TV).

We as spectators, outside the team bubble, still want the truth. Authenticity. What is really going on among the Lakers who are getting restless and disgruntled over management's recent statements that, beyond young players Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma, "some are not going to be here next year" as Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka make clear they plan to play big for LeBron James in the free agent market next summer?

But, within the bubble the team lives in, undergirded by a culture of focusing on what each player needs to do in his role, not what others think--I am transitioning to thinking about the La Jolla High boys basketball team, which I follow closely, specifically now--the only thing that matters is the signals Coach Paul Baranowski is putting out.

None of the other things have importance. Yes, each of the Viking 11 (Otto Lenz hasn't been able to play yet, due to his toe injury) is a student on campus, each has friends, teens text and use Instagram and other social media these days. They're carrying out their roles as students at the school, while also being athletes on a team.

So, you have that permeable membrane around the squad, like a cell wall surrounds a cell, helping maintain the physical structure of the cell, letting good nutrients and other stuff in, keeping bad stuff out. It's a dynamic situation--the school year goes on, as the season continues.

Each of the team members--and these are no slouches on the book end--has classes and assignments, which they are tackling and handling.

Still, within the team cell, the "bubble", the most important thing is the mental stream that has to do with holding down one's position, one's role, on the team, all of those 11 adding up to the total composition that is the team.

Why do I wax pseudo-scientific and poetic over bubble reinforced by culture?

Because, looking over the horizon of the New Year, into the Western League season for the Vikings beginning Wed., Jan. 5, I see this as the savior, the godsend, the lifeboat for rescue and success in a league populated by giants: St. Augustine, as always, Mission Bay, new to this level of performance, and Cathedral Catholic.

Mission Bay just made it to the semifinals of the National Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. Boogie Ellis--come on, his real name is Rejean--had 42 points the other night in leading the Bucs to an early win in the tournament. The Saints look just as scary--mind you, I'm speaking in the language of living outside the bubble--as sophomore Chibuzo Agbo shined in the same elite tournament, along with the usual talented St. Augustine suspects. I don't even know the makeup of the Cathedral Catholic Dons, because, unlike the others, I haven't seen them play.

But, you know what? None of this matters. It's up to each individual Viking to believe in his teammates, trust in Coach Baranowski's game plan and schemes, to stay within the team bubble, living the program's culture.

As well as they do this, will spell how they fare in the 44 days beginning Jan. 5. in the coming Western League struggle.