THE GREAT ONES STUDY THE GAME

Tony Gwynn loves hitting a baseball, and he devotes himself to it. Several times each season, he reads Ted Williams’ The Science of Hitting, a book he first discovered and read while in college. He watches countless hours of videotape. At home he has a library of hitting tapes, continually fed by his five VCRs that record games via satellite dish. He even reviews tape on the road. When he travels for games, he takes two VCRs so that he can tape and edit every one of his at bats. And when he is not swinging the bat or watching tape, he is talking about hitting constantly—with teammates, at the All-Star Game, with great players such as Ted Williams. Gwynn just can’t get enough. Hitting is his joy. He has been known to arrive at social events with batting gloves sticking out of his pocket, having stopped to hit a few.

The 21 Indispensable Qualities Of A Leader

By John C. Maxwell

FUNDAMENTALS NEVER CHANGE

“Fundamentals are the most crucial part of my game in the NBA. Everything I did, everything I achieved, can be traced back to the way I approached the fundamentals and how I applied them to my abilities. They really are the basic building blocks or principles that make everything work. I don’t care what you’re doing or what you’re trying to accomplish — you can’t skip fundamentals if you want to be the best. The minute you get away from fundamentals, the bottom can fall out. You have to monitor your fundamentals constantly because the only thing that never changes will be your attention to them. The fundamentals will never change. It comes down to a very simple saying: There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your fundamentals are wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”

—MICHAEL JORDAN—

IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS

From "The Winner's Manual" by Jim Tressel:

"Success is an everyday proposition. It isn’t defined by a championship game or the day you get your diploma, get drafted by an NFL team, make the big sale, land the account of a lifetime, or get your law degree. But the key to a successful life is in the journey and the process. It’s that emphasis on the journey to success that we work on each day, step by step.

To me, the process is what’s most fun in football, and I’m sure it’s that way for any profession. The process of going full bore into the season and balancing your purpose with your goals and the family you love and all the things you try to accomplish—it’s a daily adventure.

It’s important to let our goals spring from our purpose. It makes sense that if we’re going to do the best we can do, our best should come from who we really are."

JERRY RICE: THE MOST DETERMINED

Jerry Rice is to football what Michael Jordan is to basketball. He is simply considered to be the greatest to ever play the position of wide-receiver. Unlike Michael Jordan, he came from a small college into the NFL. To many, Rice is an ultra-talented receiver. But those close to him know better – they know all that he had to do to become the greatest. In his book, “Think Like A Champion,” Denver Bronco head coach Mike Shanahan wrote the following on Rice:

“Most people, for whatever reason, think natural ability is the most important power a person possesses. It’s not. People who achieve the highest level of success have an unbelievable work ethic, the desire to sacrifice. Everybody thinks Jerry Rice is the best receiver out there. He certainly is talented, but I guarantee you he’s not even close to being the most talented. He’s not the strongest or the fastest. Be he is the most determined. Jerry’s mind set was that nobody was going to work harder, prepare better, or sacrifice more. He convinced himself that he was going to outwork every receiver who came into the league relative to conditioning, lifting, studying — everything. He knew that people might not enjoy the practice, but you can’t get to be the best without.

Everyday during the off-season, Jerry would be up at 6:00 AM going through his strenuous stretching drills. He would run seven 5-yard shuttles, which he called “stop and go’s,” and fourteen more 40-yard dashes up and down the field. Then he would line up fluorescent orange cones across the field and weave in and out of each one six times at full speed, working on his acceleration and cutting ability. When he finished with the cones, he would run six more 40-yard dashes, and then 20-yard patterns until he was flat-out exhausted. Then he would lift weights in as quick a rotation as possible, no resting. Bench presses, seated bench presses, incline bench press, power lifts, dumbbell curls with increasing weights. I get tired just writing about it. It didn’t take me long to understand why every time we got to the fourth quarter of a game, while most of the players were slowing down, Jerry could run as fast as he did on the first play of the game. On the days he trained, Jerry would cap off his physical work with mental work. He would immerse himself in a game film of the league’s top wide receivers, studying how they ran their routes and what moves they used to get open. It was amazing to me how he had so many of the all-time records, and he was still working harder than anybody. It would have been so easy for him to be spending that time relaxing at the mall or on the golf course. But Jerry was sacrificing his leisure time to be considered the greatest wide receiver of all time. The only way was the hard way, he believed. And eventually, even though you may think nobody notices your extra effort, somebody usually does. Your work will pay off tomorrow, a year from now, five years from now, you don’t know when. But it will!”

HOW TO REBOUND FROM SETBACKS

From the magazine, "Get Motivated," comes an excellent article titled, How to Rebound From Setbacks: Ruben Gonzales, the three-time Olympian tells how he excelled in one of the Olympics’ most perilous sports --the lug.

Principle 1- Go All the Way: When you decide that quitting is not an option, you will soon be in the top 10 percent of your field. Odds are, ninety percent of your competition will simply give up!

Principle 2- Create a “Dream Team”: Ninety percent of success is determined by whom you associate with. So create a Dream Team of people around you who will encourage you through the toughest times.

Principle 3- Give Yourself a Pep Talk: It’s easy to get down when things aren’t going your way. After a bad luge run, sometimes I walk up and down the track for 20 minutes, saying: “I can do it! I will make it, because there’s always a way!” When you get down, pick yourself up and give yourself a pep talk.

Principle 4- Learn from Your Mistakes: High achievers believe that they will either do well at each task they tackle or they will learn something to help them win in future. As funny as it sounds, most successful people “fail their way upwards.” I was no different, crashing all the way to the top!

Principle 5-Recover Quickly: When winners make mistakes, they don’t waste time whining. They do whatever it takes to recover quickly, so they don’t lose their momentum. When a boxer gets knocked down, he has only 10 seconds to get back up. If he gets up in eleven seconds, he loses the fight. SO the next time you get knocked down, decide to act like a winner. Get up, take immediate action and make your dream a reality!

THE GREAT ONES LOVE TO PRACTICE AND PREPARE

A reason for greatness in the great -- they love to prepare:

"For me, it's not just about the game, I mean I love practice. A lot of guys don't. I like going to practice. I love to work on a Wednesday, getting a game plan, trying to put it in the words on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and then taking the game plan and putting it to work on Sunday."

-Peyton Manning

PREPARATION AND COURAGE

"In playing ball, and in life, a person occasionally gets the opportunity to do something great. When that time comes, only two things matter: being prepared to seize the moment and having the courage to take your best swing."

-Hank Aaron

THE HALL OF FAMER THAT SUCCEEDED WHILE FAILING

From "Failing Forward" by John Maxwell:

On August 6, 1999, a major-league baseball player stepped up tot he home plate in Montreal and made another out -- the 5,113th of his professional career. That's a lot of trips to the batter's box without a hit! If a player made all those out consecutively, and he averaged four at bats per game, he would play eight seasons (1,278 games straight) without ever reaching base.

Was the player discouraged that night? No. Did he think he had failed himself or his team? No. You see, earlier in the same game, in his first plate appearance, that player had reached a milestone that only twenty-one other people in the history of baseball have every achieved. He had made his 3,000 hit. That player was Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres.

During that game, Tony got on base with hits four times in five tries. But that's not the norm for him. Usually he fails to get a hit two times out of every three attempts. Those results may not sound very encouraging, but if you know baseball, you recognize that Tony's ability to succeed consistently only one time in three tries has made him the greatest hitter of his generation. And Tony recognizes that to get his hits, he has to make a lot of outs.

One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind.

"The difference between greatness and mediocrity is often how an individual views a mistake."
-Nelson Boswell

LEADERSHIP STARTS IN THE OFF-SEASON

Are you leading your team in the off-season? Do you display leadership in the locker room? The weight room? The classroom?

The following article comes from Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald:

There is no mistaking which player has become the face of the Dolphins organization over the past year: This is definitely Chad Pennington's team.

If there was one aspect of Sunday's uneventful practice that stood out, it was the respect that has developed for Pennington in the eight months since he led the Dolphins to an AFC East title. Respect from fans. Respect from teammates. And respect from coach Tony Sparano.

"It's Chad Pennington's team,'' Sparano said Sunday.

It's Pennington's team, not only because of the way he pulled it together last season, but also the way he has continued to pull it together during the off-season.

On several occasions, the quarterback called on his wide receivers to meet for private throwing sessions. But for a more definitive example of the respect he commands, you needed to be at his home on June 4. That's the day Pennington hosted a barbecue. He simply invited the team and gave everyone directions. Guess who showed up? Every single player.

"Everybody,'' wide receiver Greg Camarillo said. "It's really difficult to get all of the different social groups to gather in the same place. It's difficult for any team, any group of friends, to all gather at the same time.

"It was the kind of thing a college team would do. Everybody respects Chad, and everybody respects what he's trying to do for this team.''

His leadership has been contagious, and it has brought together an entire team -- on offense and defense -- before the camaraderie produced through training camp even had a chance to cultivate.

That's what Pennington has done to help in the locker room. But now that training camp has begun, the quarterback realizes it's time to help on the field, too.

Even in the midst of Pennington's high approval rating, there continues to be reasons to wonder how long it will be his job. Sparano reiterated Sunday that Chad Henne would get an increased amount of repetitions -- especially during preseason games -- as a way to test his decisiveness in game situations.

In general, it's a harmless, smart strategy. But Pennington is in the final year of his contract, which leads to questions about his long-term stability. The quarterback has nonetheless handled the situation with class."I don't ever look at it as a competition,'' Pennington said. "We are in preparation and coaches are in an evaluation phase. We are trying to prepare not only ourselves, but each other. We do a lot of communicating.''Pennington, who has dealt with more pressing situations in the past, seems to take solace in the moment, continuing to lift up a team around him in a fashion that has boosted the morale in Miami.

So while the future remains unclear for a quarterback who has done everything right, the present couldn't be more vivid. On Sunday, this looked and sounded like Pennington's team.

As everyone -- every player, fan and coach -- will tell you, that's because it is. Now, he will attempt to make this his year, too.

"I'm excited,'' Pennington said. "I am excited about where we are, but we've got a long way to go."

WHEN IS IT OK TO ENCOURAGE A TEAMMATE?

From Think Like a Champion: A Guide to Championship Performance for Student-Athletes By Dick Devenzio

When is it okay to encourage your teammates? I’d say anytime, always, now, tomorrow. It is always useful to encourage your teammates. And I would go a step further than that: if you fail to encourage your teammates often, you are failing to contribute to a significant aspect of team-building.

1. It is hard to overestimate the value of encouragement. Many people don’t show outwardly the effect encouragement has on them—how it lifts their spirits, makes them proud, and inspires them to put out extra effort—but few people remain untouched by it. Often, in fact, the people who seem least touched or least in need of encouragement are actually those who are most affected and most in need.

2. The major point here is don’t base your encouragement on the response you get, or lack thereof. If your encouragement is sincere and well-intentioned, it will hit its mark. It will be worthwhile. I earn to make encouragement an integral part of your game, of your everyday performance.

PGC: THE 6 INTANGIBLES TO MASTER THAT MAKES YOU INVALUABLE

One of the best camps in the country for developing perimeter players is Point Guard College headed up by former University of Virginia standout Dena Evans. Dena has a philosophy she teaches the point guards including The 6 Intangibles To Master That Makes You Invaluable.

SPIRIT

Good teams practice with enthusiasm and zest...a quiet gym is a losing gym...Enthusiasm = Excellence...demand energy.

COMMUNICATION

Talk on the floor, call names, give them reminders often.

HUSTLE

All the time -- not a sometime thing..."sheepdog mentality"...persistent, enthused, work, everyday.

ATTITUDE

Body language is important.

PRECISION

Exactness...attention to detail...accuracy...sharpness of approach.

ENHANCEMENT

Contribute to the environment -- don't contaminate it...make it better doing something extra...expect to do more that your expected to...do extra...come earlier, stay later, compliment someone, smile, push a broom, pick up trash...and don't expect praise for doing something extra.

One of Dena's favorite quotes: "Championships are won with high levels of energy, spirit, and enthusiasm."

For more on Point Guard College, visit:

http://www.pointguardcollege.com

THE FOUR CANCEROUS BEHAVIORS

The 4 Cancerous Behaviors of athletes:

--Criticizing

--Complaining

--Comparing

--Condemning

From former NBA Head Coach Eric Musselman

ARE YOU A REAL COMPETITOR

Here's a great piece on being competitive from Ernie Woods and Bob Kloppenburg at Cybersportsusa.com:

http://www.cybersportsusa.com/hooptactics/hooptactics.asp

Real competitors are those players that come to play every time they step on the court. They are a team’s hardest workers constantly, improving. They are not the type that scream at their teammates or officials or kick trash cans after the game. They are the type that are determined and just plain enjoy playing. Competitors are those players that players love to play with not against, spectators love to watch, and coaches love to coach.

Real competitors are hard to find.

Legendary Coach, John Wooden, once said that “If you have one competitor on your squad you will be successful. If you have two you will be competing for the conference title and with three a national title.” He had no idea what four or five competitors on a single team would be like since he had never witness it.

Real competitors view adversity as a challenge not as a detriment.
In trying situations, they compete and work hard to over come it rather than get frustrated or angry. Michael Jordan is a classic example of a real competitor. He competed every night despite the fact that he was facing the opponent’s best defenders, double teams and even triple teams. Despite constantly being held and grabbed, pushed and shoved, he rarely ever complained to the officials or lost control of his actions. Instead he accepted the challenge and was more motivated to succeed. When Michael Jordan stepped on the court he was bound and determined to be successful no matter what the opponents threw at him.

Real competitors make their teammates better.

They are not successful at the expense of their teammates. They do not gripe or complain about the teammates’ lack of skills and abilities. But, are helpful not only in improving their teammates skills but more importantly their confidence. Did you know while playing for the Chicago Bulls, in order to make his teammates better, Michael Jordan scrimmaged with the second string during practices?

Competitors are “Erasers.”

After bad calls or turnovers, rather than griping or complaining, they hustle back on defense to make a defense stop. They are fully aware of the fact that the only turnovers that hurt a team are the ones upon which the opponent score. If/when the opponent does not score after a turnover then, no matter how bad, that turnover is erased!

Competitors don’t have to look at the score board to know the score.

Winning is certainly important, but how it is achieved is more important. To them the most satisfaction and pleasure comes in playing the game, not with the final game score. They know that when they are passing, shooting, rebounding and playing solid defense well, the scoreboard will take care of itself. They play every play in a game as if it was the last play of the game. After the game, regardless of the score, they are satisfied because they gave it their best effort.

How do you identity competitors?

A simple test for competitiveness is to place a player with the worst players and have them play against the best players. In this situation, do they except the challenge and give it their best in rallying their lesser skilled teammates into competing against the stronger team or do they complain, sulk and give a less than best effort because they are over matched and not playing with the stronger group?

WHAT KIND OF LEADER ARE YOU?

“We preached that everybody’s a leader. You’re either a negative leader or you’re a positive leader. But everybody contributes, and everybody has to be a part of it. And again, when someone may not be able to carry the load, someone else has to step up. That the whole idea of “whatever it takes.” You’re not always going to be a hundred percent healthy; you’re not always going to meet the same challenge... Everybody’s a leader. Now if you have someone who is a complainer, that guy’s not doing it, a finger-pointer, that’s negative leadership. Leadership comes from everybody.”

-Chuck Noll-

BE RESPONSIBLE AND DO RIGHT

From Jim Tressel's "The Winners Manual":

I'm the last one to have a long list of possible sanctions for players. I don't believe in it. But I do believe in telling each player what we're going to expect of him. It's simple: We expect each person on the team to BE RESPONSIBLE and DO RIGHT. And if we're going to expect it, then it's up to us as coaches to teach the players how to do those two things. We need to talk about them often and keep them in the forefront of players' minds.