For the last seven years we made a daily effort to build the best softball program and possibly the best athletic program in the state of Georgia. This effort required tremendous time / money / and sweat from many people. It was a program because we had a set group of stakeholders from the Heritage school zone and we had a clearly defined mission. The players / the parents / the coaches / and the administration had to buy into the total concept of school, select , academics, community service, etc. Even though there were bumps along the way and it ended when the program could no longer provide the total buy-in needed I feel very comfortable in what we were able to accomplish and the lives impacted.
But as we go into this new ProStar Fastpitch universe I believe that many of you need to understand and be aware that we are no longer a "Program" but an "Organization". You may ask what is the difference? ProStar is still going to ask a tremendous amount of time / money and sweat from many people. ProStar is still going to have a mission statement that talks about academics / work habits / college / etc. Yes --- those are all still a part of what we are striving for but we no longer have the defined group of stakeholders / the sense of community pride / and the set goal from the time you join the program in elementary school of winning a state title.
There are pros and cons of whether a program or an organization is better. The organization has an individual or a board that decides what is best for the organization and that individual or group attempts to acquire assets that benefit the goals of the organization. The assets ( players and parents ) will only join the organization if they believe the organization benefits them in some manner. I know that people will only join our ProStar organization if they believes it benefits them either in skill development and/or college scholarships opportunities. And that is ok because I believe the track record of myself and the people I have surrounded myself with during the last 35 years of softball have proven we can make you better players / better people / and put you in the best position to receive a college scholarship offer.
I hope that the reach of ProStar Fastpitch will grow far beyond North Georgia --- I hope the goals of ProStar Fastpitch are achieved in a short period of time--- but I understand our organization is in the infant stages and must prove ourselves daily. If I could close with this thought:
Nick Saban and Alabama have a program
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have an organization
Both are winners --- both are great at what they do --- the way they accomplish their goals have subtle differences though because of the difference in a "Program" and an "Organization".
ProStar Fastpitch is an organization!
But as we go into this new ProStar Fastpitch universe I believe that many of you need to understand and be aware that we are no longer a "Program" but an "Organization". You may ask what is the difference? ProStar is still going to ask a tremendous amount of time / money and sweat from many people. ProStar is still going to have a mission statement that talks about academics / work habits / college / etc. Yes --- those are all still a part of what we are striving for but we no longer have the defined group of stakeholders / the sense of community pride / and the set goal from the time you join the program in elementary school of winning a state title.
There are pros and cons of whether a program or an organization is better. The organization has an individual or a board that decides what is best for the organization and that individual or group attempts to acquire assets that benefit the goals of the organization. The assets ( players and parents ) will only join the organization if they believe the organization benefits them in some manner. I know that people will only join our ProStar organization if they believes it benefits them either in skill development and/or college scholarships opportunities. And that is ok because I believe the track record of myself and the people I have surrounded myself with during the last 35 years of softball have proven we can make you better players / better people / and put you in the best position to receive a college scholarship offer.
I hope that the reach of ProStar Fastpitch will grow far beyond North Georgia --- I hope the goals of ProStar Fastpitch are achieved in a short period of time--- but I understand our organization is in the infant stages and must prove ourselves daily. If I could close with this thought:
Nick Saban and Alabama have a program
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have an organization
Both are winners --- both are great at what they do --- the way they accomplish their goals have subtle differences though because of the difference in a "Program" and an "Organization".
ProStar Fastpitch is an organization!
