Did you ever see a ski jump competition either live or on TV?
Ski jump is an event where competitors first ski down a long ramp, then take off and soar hundreds of feet down the mountain before finally landing.
My wife and I witnessed a competition live a couple of years ago at Lake Placid, N.Y. [...]
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the most important Super Bowl in history. When Joe Namath and the New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts, they did more than just win the championship. They may have saved the Super Bowl.
Back then, the Jets played in the American Football League, which was considered not in the [...]
Yesterday I bought my first laptop. As part of the deal, I received the chance to meet with experts for several one-on-one coaching sessions on how to use the computer.
Looking around the store, I wondering how many of the shoppers – including me – would take advantage of the available sessions.
And that made me wonder, [...]
Have you ever thought of gossip as a peak performance issue?
It is.
Gossip is a form of negative energy. It is poor focus. It focuses on the negative instead of on the positive. It focuses on what can’t be changed in others rather than on what can be changed in the self.
Here are two things to [...]
Great performers practice in extraordinary ways.
For instance, every baseball player gets into a hitting slump now and then. Most players respond by taking more batting practice. But few approach the problem the way Hall of Famer Ty Cobb did.
Cobb knew that whenever he started to hit poorly, he had to go back to the fundamental [...]
In this weekend’s NFL playoff games, you’ll likely see a two-minute drill.
That’s when teams, facing time pressure, play differently than they have for the rest of the game. They use different strategies. They play with greater intensity. They have a greater sense of urgency.
What if these teams – more importantly, what if you – could [...]
If you’ve been around high school or college sports for even a little while, chances are that you know one of those “sports parents.”
Dr. Rob Gilbert, professor of sports psychology at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., offers the following list of ways to see if a parent is going too far. Is the list [...]
Legendary coach John Wooden just turned 98 years old, and The Sporting News took that particular occasion to interview him. The resulting Q&A should inspire and help anyone who is pursuing success.
One story in particular reminds anyone who coaches – and anyone who is being coached – about the real lessons of practice.
Wooden recalls the [...]
There are some drills that are just magic.
You wish all drills were, but there are some that do such a good job of building skill that you can’t help but love them.
Let me explain what I mean.
At our school, one of the basketball coaches wants the players to do a four-foot shooting drill the minute [...]
If you want to beat your biggest rivals, then you must do a better job of preparing than they do.
That means getting the most out of practice.
Not everyone understands that. Some people think that just getting out on the gym floor and moving around for two hours qualifies as practice.
It doesn’t.
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden [...]