“The older I get, the better I was.”

I remember that the first time I heard that phrase, I smiled. Of course, that was before those words started to drift into truth. Fact is that when one is asked to reflect on the personal impact of sports, we all look back to when we played. And imaginations being what they are, those memories are in black and white and slightly more, shall we say, positive. Games lost eventually become games won if I live long enough. I have no doubt that my 80 something mile-an-hour fastball will eventually get up into the 90s by the time I meet my grandkids. And I was able to dunk.

Which is exactly my point.

In a world and at a time when people are Negative Nellies, sport is the perfect elixir. The bad memories and the losses fade, while the good memories and wins blossom forever and even get a wee bit embellished along the way. We think back. We smile. We remember how we felt when we won. That’s the power of sports. Positivity. Enduring positivity. And when you get right down to it, that’s the lesson for all who lead. Be positive. Be fearless instead of being feared. Think good things and make them happen.

And there is a cost to being a win at all costs person.

My life is consumed by sports. Always has been. I played ‘em all, some at a pretty high level. I’ve coached college teams, high school teams, AAU teams, travel teams and teams where the only thing that matters is who brought the oranges. Even today I somehow juggle coaching almost every day with running probably the coolest company on the planet. I miss out on countless corporate functions, missed functions and missed connections that would no doubt enhance my/our prospects for professional success, because I would rather give in a gym or on a field than get in a ballroom or restaurant. It is a more rewarding experience for me because of what it teaches and reminds me. It is a privilege to teach today’s athletes and tomorrow’s leaders, to spend time with them, to make them better and make them smile at the same time. Believe me, they give more to me than I could ever give to them.

They give me reassurance of The Power of Positive, validation of the fact that winning doesn’t matter but that effort does, the knowledge that smiles endure, that learning continues, that if you give someone everything you’ve got you’ll get back more. Keep giving and never ask for anything back. And if you decide to fake it, to be insincere or to speak from anyplace but the heart, it will catch up to you.

That’s how I lead. From 9-5. And from 5-10…sometimes longer if a kid wants to keep working. Thank God my gorgeous wife Maryann allows me to keep scratching this itch and keep feeding my soul with the pure positivity you get from coaching, from teaching, from leading with a focus on giving not getting.

Cue the soundtrack from “Up With People.” Sorry about that. My intent is not to be preachy and sunny and blind to all things bad. Just wanted to remind us of what we already know, and to use it everyday. Sports teach us all not how to win, but how to play. That while a baseball player who misses seven out of 10 times still gets into the Hall of Fame, don’t cheat your team or yourself by giving anything less than 100 percent on the seven swings you miss. Positivity endures and is embraced. And maybe when we hear stories of people who hate to lose, who must win at all costs and preach with fire, well, maybe some of those people are weenies. Not all, but some.

I’ve won more than my share of games. Loved every win. Held onto to every memory with a tenacious grip. And the losses?

Give me time. They’ll all become wins yet.