It's easy to let NCUA assessments have a negative impact on not only your balance sheet but also the attitudes within your credit union. However, the direction of our momentum in 2011 is vitally important to the credit union system's success beyond 2011.

I grew up living and breathing Kentucky Wildcats basketball, so here's a sports analogy. Winning teams don't let the numbers on the scoreboard dictate how hard they play the game. They have true passion, purpose to win, work together as a team and have a positive attitude.

Playing a basketball game is analogous to being a credit union. Stick to the fundamentals, and your odds of winning are vastly increased. Those are cooperation, serving our member-owners and those who are underserved, and doing business the right way as governed by our not-for-profit structure.