WHAT DO THE GREAT DO IN THE OFF-SEASON? WORK TO BECOME BETTER

The following comes from an SI.com  article on LeBron James.

He's working out twice a day, trying to erase some of the sting that's still there after the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals.

"Right now I've just been focusing on being a better player, working on my game every single day," James said at a news conference before the AP interview. "Like I said, the Dallas Mavericks were a great team and they deserved to win that championship. And I'll just use that as motivation coming into this season."

He's also trying to deliver on his vow to be even better whenever the Heat resume play, saying he's been in Houston at times this offseason to learn post play from one of the game's all-time greats, former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon.

"I look at what he was able to do throughout his career," James said. "Unbelievable talent. Multiple champion. Just to see how he was able to dominate in the low post, for me as an individual, I just try to look at some of the things I feel I need to get better at and hit home at it. Our team becomes better if I continue to get better and that's what it's about."

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/o6vgH0

"A LIFETIME OF TRAINING"

"A lifetime of training for just ten seconds."

~ Jesse Owens

(on running the 100-meter dash in the Olympics)

"I run on the road long before

I dance under the lights."

~ Muhammad Ali

 

"It's better to look ahead and

prepare than to look back and regret."

~ Jackie Joyner-Kersee

I HATE TO LOSE

"If you're going to play at all, you're

out to win. Baseball, board games,

 playing Jeopardy, I hate to lose."

-Derek Jeter

CHARACTER -- IT'S IN THE TRYING

Shout out to Ray Lokar for posting this scene from Friday Night lights on twitter...great message for us all!

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

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT KOBE

Via Alan Stein's blog comes a great post on thoughts regarding Kobe Bryant from his teammate Luke Walton:

1. Kobe’s work ethic is unparalleled. He comes in early and he stays late. He always does more than is asked. He gives 100% in every drill, in every workout, in every practice, and (obviously) in every game. He is never satisfied and is always striving to get better.

2. Kobe’s competitiveness rivals his work ethic. He wants to win at everything. He can’t turn it off. He competes just as hard in workouts and practice as he does in the NBA Finals.

3. Kobe has no fear. He doesn’t fear failure and he doesn’t care what the public or the media think about him. He doesn’t look over his shoulder and he doesn’t try to please everyone.

4. Kobe is a student of the game. He constantly studies film… of himself, of his opponents, and of previous generation’s players. He has a true respect for the game and for those that came before him.

5. Kobe truly believes he is the best player in the game. He has a confidence, swagger, and arrogance about him. He believes he is the best because he knows he has outworked everyone and that he has earned the right to be the best.

Read the entire post at: http://bit.ly/mrIfD4

NO EXCUSES CAN HOLD BACK THE COMMITTED

EXPERIENCE + CONFIDENCE = SUCCESS

"Experience tells you waht to do;

confidence allows you to do it."

-Stan Smith

JERRY RICE -- THE HILL

Quite simply, how badly do you want it!