Linguistics is the study of language, involving an analysis of language form, meaning, and context. I find it fascinating that there are so many different components that go into what we say and why we say it. When you stop and think about it, simple things such as the emphasis we put on certain words or syllables, the tone we speak in, and the way we structure our sentences can convey completely different meanings and can have a huge impact on others. This is why I love wordplay! When I am coaching and mentoring others, I love to create sayings or acronyms to help people remember concepts and implement them. This is a technique that helps me learn, so I figure I will share the love.
I was fortunate enough to recently earn the distinction of representing Breakthrough Basketball as Head Coach at their first camp in Aberdeen, Scotland. While I was being shown around Aberdeen AKA Granite City, I learned that the phrase, “Ay ay, fit like?” is the most common slang phrase spoken in their Doric dialect. The phrase means “Hello, how are you doing?” What is interesting is that the Doric dialect is very thick and is spoken only in the Northern part of Scotland. If, like me, you have a daughter that is obsessed with princesses you will recognize this as the dialect spoken by one of the characters in the movie Brave, where there is a running joke that no one understands him.
The camp I led in Scotland was held at Aberdeen Sports Village. While I was there, I noticed that their baskets were labeled A, B, and C so I decided that ABC should stand for Always Be the Connection. What I mean by this is that YOU should take it upon yourself to be the connection between two people. Help someone by sharing your knowledge, be the light in a dark room, be a referral source. The point is that you have to take on the responsibility to be the bridge that connects people to hope, joy, and fulfillment.
My friend, Coach Norbert Rome from Dillard University once told me that Emotion = Energy + Motion. If you walk into a room of people with a strong, vibrant energy and you are in motion (meaning taking action), you will awaken positive emotions in others. This is my mission every time I jump out of bed in the morning! I aim to exude such a zest for life that people see me as the spark able to connect them to the same vitality in themselves.
As Buddha teaches, “If you propose to speak, always ask yourself, is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?”
Charlie Miller is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and master basketball trainer. He has owned his business, ATTACK Basketball Academy for 6 years and is passionate about mentoring the youth of today. You can contact him by email at charlie@attackbball.com.
