Letter of Reference
from Mike Fons
March 15, 2001
To coaches who are interested in championship teams and players:
Championships result from a number of blended factors, some of which are: attitude, work ethic, focused leadership, talent, teamwork and, yes, even luck. Many teams possessing these qualities to varying degrees come close to being a champion. However, very few, in the end, actually succeed.
In both 1986 and 1987, I coached Milwaukee Messmer High School Boys Varsity Basketball team to consecutive Private School Class "B" State Championships. Our two-year record during that time was 49 and 3.
As other coaches, I sought to instill championship qualities into my teams. I succeeded to a certain extent. However, in accomplishing this, there can often be a fine line between success and failure. So much of the result is dependent upon the ability of the players to constantly develop positively in a sometimes rather negative environment.
For the 1987-88 season I brought in a Team-Building & Leadership consultant named Peter Ferrito to work with the coaching staff, to help increase the level of excellence we all desired. Peter was great at helping us further develop the concepts of leadership, individual and collective responsibility, and teamwork.
Peter's knowledge and ability to transfer his knowledge to our players helped us proceed confidently down the road to success. Peter is exceptional at teaching the individual development of players within the collective development of the team. He definitely helped our players increase their confidence and helped them to refocus their individual egos to make our team more cohesive. Peter, in effect, taught life skills to our players through the medium of basketball.
My association with Peter as a Team-Building & Leadership consultant and as a person was positive and rewarding. I recommend Peter to any coach with an open mind who realizes that the mental aspect of the game is crucial to winning championships. More important than that, Peter's training can help young people to have a better chance of becoming champions in life!
Sincerely,
Mike Fons
Former Coach, Boys' Basketball Team,
Messmer High School
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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