FOR US TO BE CHAMPIONS

Jason Kidd addressing his Olympic teammates:

“For us to be champions, I think we need to be three things.  First, we need to be unselfish-with playing time and in making the extra pass.  Second, we need to be smart-taking good shots and always being aware of time, score and fouls.  And third,” I concluded, “we need to be aggressive-not just when we have the ball but in movement away from the ball.  We need to hit the offensive boards and attack the passing lanes on defense.”

From "The Gold Standard" by Mike Krzyzewski

TEAMWORK AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

WORK BEFORE GLORY

EVEN THE GREAT ONES KNOW HOW TO ACCEPT THEIR ROLE

During my recent recruiting trip, I have enjoyed reading Tim Tebow's book and really believe it would be a great book for athletes to read -- especially those that are very gifted.  Tim shows throughout the book the importance of being and staying grounded through a variety of obstacles. 

Early this week I tweeted that it isn't always about the accomplishments but about the hurdles you overcome during the accomplishments.  Tim is a great example of handling a variety of speed bumps in maximizing his potential.

For instance, coming out of high school, he was one of the nation's most recruited athletes -- to the point that ESPN did a documentary on him in high school.  Many athletes is this light would expect to start as a freshman and some would pout if they didn't.  But Tim Tebow understand what was important for the team as he writes:

"For me, more important than winning the quarterback job was earning some playing time, being part of the team, building the trust of the coaches and my teammates, and being able to contribute.  That's what I took so much pride in and what I wanted to accomplish.  I hoped to carve out a role for myself that contributed to the good of the team in every game."

From "Through My Eyes" by Tim Tebow

HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOURSELF?

"You identify yourself by what you do when no one is watching.  The supervised athlete may be the hardest worker, the most selfless and responsible competitor.  But how he practices when no one sees him, how he interacts with teammates when the coach is not within listening distance -- that's when he defines himself.  His character."

-H.A. Dorfman

MJ: ALWAYS HAD TO WIN

Leroy Smith on teammate Michael Jordan:

“He and I practiced every day together and he always had to win. If it was a game of Horse and you beat him, you would have to play another game until he won. You didn’t go home until he had won.”

TY COBB ON CONFIDENCE

“Every great batter works on the theory

 that the pitcher is more afraid of him

than he is of the pitcher.”

-Ty Cobb