As cliche as it has become, coaches still all like to talk about playing for the name on the front of the jersey instead of the one on the back. Now, more than ever it seems (since the TSSAA has wild rules about what your jersey must say), that school name on the front of the jersey is always going to be stressed.
When Danny Fish arrived in Warren County, he went a different route with his team's practice jerseys. The WC logo is still in plain sight, but right above it says, "The Brotherhood."
It was something Fish wanted to instill in his program from Day 1.
"I am a big Duke fan and love the implications of 'The Brotherhood,'" said Fish, now in his third year at WCHS. "Once you are part of it, you are always a part of it. We got that phrase on our practice gear my first year here. It is perfect for our 'We over Me' philosophy."
So how does the Brotherhood show up? Well, clearly if you've been watching the Pioneers this year, it shows up in the team's ability to find new stars almost nightly during a 12-3 start to the season (not including Tuesday's game at the Dalt). But, to me, it shows up a lot more off the court.
It shows up when you get a glimpse into the inner workings of the locker room and see the inclusiveness of everybody in the program - from the star scorers to the team managers. Everybody is bought in, everybody has a voice and everybody listens.
It shows up when the team is supporting each other at every level, like when the varsity head coach is on the bench of a freshman game giving a few extra words of encouragement to kids who are still learning to be productive Pioneers. Fish doesn't have to do that - he has an army of capable coaches to handle those things. But Fish places a ton of importance in developing every kid in his program - he works with them daily.
Most of all, it shows up when the entire team makes its way to the funeral home to show support in a time of need to a person who shows a ton of support back to them.
Coaches can try to fake that kind of chemistry with rah-rah talk, but when it's authentic, you never have to broadcast it. Everybody can see it and the kids in the program live it daily.
Warren County is lucky to have The Brotherhood. And it's really lucky to have Danny Fish leading it.
