Garrett College Alumni
Lance Loya
Lance Loya wanted to emphasize one important life-long concept with his two young daughters: Be a good teammate.
That simple concept, which Loya turned into a children's book of the same name, helped the Garrett College graduate and Laker men's basketball guard build both a company and a brand.
"It was never intended to be anything more than, 'If something happens to Dad, here's my parting words of wisdom' for my daughters," said the 46-year-old author and motivational speaker. "I printed it on my Inkjet printer, folded the pages and stapled them into a book, and left copies on the kitchen counter for my daughters to find the next day. That's all it was intended to be – and it changed the trajectory of my life."
Loya said his wife shared Be a Good Teammate with some of her friends and they wanted copies. Loya's book was eventually published as he founded The Good Teammate Factory and expanded into inspirational speaking.
Loya said his powerful message is about "changing the focus from me to we."
"If we could find ways for people to be better teammates, I think a lot of our problems would go away," observed Loya, who also played basketball at NCAA Division I University of South Carolina Upstate and coached at NCAA Division III Mt. Aloysius (PA) College.
While athletes may more quickly grasp Loya's message, his theme is more universal.
"I think everyone understands the value of being part of a team, whether it's a sports team or a work team," said Loya.
Loya – who was an NJCAA Academic All-American while at GC in the late 1990s – said he still values the time he spent at Garrett College.
"So many good memories," Loya recalled. "I remember the rivalries with Allegany College and all of those great teams. I remember that old gym – there were only four rows of bleachers on each side, but when it was packed it was one of the best venues in all of college sports. It was such a family atmosphere – one of the things that made Garrett so special."
While Loya was a student athlete, his best memories weren't limited to athletics.
"As athletes, you make an emotional connection to coaches," observed Loya. "At Garrett, I had wonderful relationships with all of my instructors. [Theatre Professor] Ben Sincell had such a huge influence on my life. And support staff like Bonnie Broadwater and the other ladies in the business office – they took such good care of us. When I'm back at Garrett College, I stop first at the Business Office and then go on to Coach [Dennis] Gibson's office."
Loya – who was a high school basketball coach before moving on to Mt. Aloysius College – indicated athletic coaching was a great preparation for life coaching. "I loved it," Loya said of being a basketball coach. "There are definitely challenges, but just the opportunity to share your love and passion with the next generation is appealing and rewarding. Being in higher education in general is good for the soul. Your thinking is routinely challenged – it keeps you from being narrow minded."
Loya said he recently saw a Today Show segment with a Los Angeles hospice counselor that reinforced his belief that being a good teammate – in sports and in life – is paramount.
"She said the biggest regrets of most people on their death beds was that they didn't engage in worthy causes, didn't pursue what they wanted in their life, and hadn't been forgiving to other people," said Loya. "People who are truly good teammates don't have that regret."
To read more about Lance Loya, go to https://www.coachloya.com.
