Inspiration comes from the oddest of places.

Yesterday our practice was flat and unproductive. I thought I had all the people in the right places, but nothing worked.

Then last night (it was difficult to sleep) the words of Sherlock Holmes came to me.

He said, “When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbably, must be the truth.”

Holmes, of course, was a fictional character discussing crime-solving, but his words will resonate in my gym today. I’ve been itching to get this one particular athlete into the mix because of her high energy and attention level, but I’ve held back because of the silliest of excuses: She’s too small.

Can you imagine a coach with two decades of experience using such silly reasoning? “She’s too small.” It was such reasoning that caused the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to pass on shortstop Phil Rizzuto. All he did was become a Hall of Famer with the Yankees.

So today I will put this girl who is too small into the mix. Tomorrow I will let you know what happens.