When you coach for a long time, you acquire a collection of 5 gallon buckets. You might have a friend who is a painter, or you get the industrial size pickle buckets from the cafeteria, or you might even invest in the purchase of buckets from Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart but no matter how you got them, buckets you have!
Now the problem is that we think that all five-gallon buckets are created equal. Wrong! Each bucket from each manufacturer has only one thing in common, they hold 5 gallons of whatever they hold, but each bucket has a slightly different diameter or depth or top ring or whatever. The fact that they look alike is the problem because we think they will fit together like a redneck nesting doll and go together and come apart with nor effort at all.
When I saw a recent post on Facebook about the power of an empty bucket it impressed upon me the importance of sharing some of the lessons I learned over a long career. We have all had the experience of trying to separate two empty buckets that have been stacked inside each other. First we try to old use your feet on each side of the bottom bucket and try to pull the top bucket out. Or the famous, two fat guys playing tug of war with each holding either the top or bottom bucket. We also have the, “I am so frustrated that I don’t care anymore” attempt to separate the buckets by prying them apart with a screwdriver which will work but usually destroys the buckets.
So what’s the answer you ask?
Drill a small hole in the bottom of the bucket. The hole allows the air pressure to equalize which usually allows you to pull the buckets apart. If push comes to shove you can use a nozzle and some air pressure to separate the buckets. When you shoot the air into the bottom bucket they usually pop apart like a party favor, so be careful you don’t get drilled by a flying bucket (don’t ask how I know this)! The other benefit is that the hole in the bottom of the bucket allows for some air flow to help those damp practice balls to dry out and avoid the bucket funk we have all experienced after a wet practice.
You’re welcome!
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
