Elevate Vol. 7 Issue 3 | Spring 2022

A PLAYBOOK FOR LIVING A LIFE FOR OTHERS

Lessons from Coach Shaw at Regis Jesuit High School

A Guest Tribute by Damian Mencini ‘10

Notching 800 basketball wins is an amazing accomplishment, but measuring Coach Ken Shaw’s legendary career coaching basketball simply on the basis of wins—or championships—doesn’t do it justice. What Coach Shaw brought to Colorado basketball and Regis Jesuit High School is way more than wins on a court. He has built a legacy; and along the way, Shaw gave every player he coached a playbook for life.

Most who walk by Coach Shaw’s office or the R.J. Demps Team Room may think it’s just like other basketball teams’ spaces. There are champion plaques and player banners, a bunch of “RJ” basketball logos, and loads of Nike swooshes. But a keen eye would notice that beneath all the typical high school sports paraphernalia that there’s a lot more going on than coaching basketball.

There are a lot of quotes on signs and placards. Right next to Coach Shaw’s office there is a plastic hanging folder with a black-andwhite paper. “Character beats talent, when talent doesn’t have character!”

it says. The door to of R.J. Demps Team Room always has a quote for that day’s practice like, “When it’s only about you, you do what’s best for you. If it’s about something bigger, you do what’s right.”

Every player who trained under Coach Shaw saw or heard more of these inspirational quotes than we could count. Every varsity player was even required to purchase a binder for them because he would pass out papers after practice full of inspirational stories, basketball strategies, or motivational quotes— especially quotes from Steve Nash (Shaw’s favorite player).

But how realistic is it really that a teenage high schooler is paying attention, better yet embracing these wisdoms? As a player on 2009 and 2010 State Championship teams—one of the biggest of honors of my life to this day—I read maybe 25 percent of these papers when I was sitting in the team room. I can remember being too exhausted from a grueling practice, caring more about checking my phone, or thinking I was cooler than I certainly was. It’s safe to say reflecting on my character or my decision-making wasn’t my top priority.

Like many things in life, however, your priorities are different than they were in high school. It has been over a decade since I had the privilege of sitting in that team room and I find myself cherishing my binder—my playbook—even more than my two championship rings. It’s clear to me now that Coach Shaw, remarkably, was developing us as people as much as he was coaching us how to win. These papers we haphazardly shoved into our binders were meant to not only tell us why rebounding is important, but also to provide us with the building blocks to construct our character.

If you look closely at the Team Room, the jerseys, and the gear, you will see another logo. You will see a see five-pointed star with a big “A” in the middle flanked by an “H” and “W.” Coach Shaw designed this logo and it is the core pillar of his coaching philosophy—“Attitude and hard work are your only guarantees.” I can’t tell you how many times or to how many hundreds of players Coach Shaw said this simple yet deceptively powerful phrase.

On the court, it means that you can’t control your talent, how tall you are, or how fast you are, but there are two things you can control—your two guarantees—how hard you work and whether you have a positive attitude.

To this day, Shaw’s logo hangs above my desk. It has been a cornerstone principle in my life. Whether in college, at work, in my marriage, or in any life pursuit, I’ve found Coach Shaw’s philosophy to be a guiding light.

But off the court, I’ve also come to realize that it reflects a deeper commitment to Jesuit ideals and education: living a life with and for others. It means keeping your chin up when faced with adversity, and keeping your chin down to better yourself and those around you. The motto applies whether you’re trying to be a better teammate, student, colleague, spouse, parent, or person trying to improve someone else’s life.

Now, make no mistake, Coach Shaw’s incredible 800 wins and only state titles for Regis Jesuit’s Boys Division in the school’s storied history is something to celebrate. But we should also be honoring the legacy he leaves off the court and to the legion of players he has coached over the decades. He’s improved countless lives already, and I’m confident will continue to change more and more as his players leave the court behind them. I’m forever grateful for Coach Shaw’s compassion, leadership, and indelible mark on my life, as I’m sure many others are too.

And I’d implore you—regardless of whether you’ve ever picked up a basketball—to consider championing the same belief: attitude and hard work are your only guarantees.

Damian Mencini (‘10) was a member of the 2009 and 2010 Regis Jesuit State Championship Boys Basketball Teams and is the youngest of four brothers to attend Regis Jesuit High School (Brandon ‘98, Justin ‘00, Nathan ‘05). Damian lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Courtenay.

Top: Mencini and Shaw at Ball Arena. Above: Mencini embraces coach Shaw with appreciation and gratitude for his commitment to coaching Mencini during his high school career. Photos provided by Damian Mencini ‘10