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Archive for August, 2009

Finishing Second

Jack Nicklaus finished second more often than any other player in the history of men’s major golf tournaments. This made him a winner. How? Finishing second 19 times means that on 19 occasions, Nicklaus put himself into position to finish first. It didn’t happen. But it COULD have. On 18 other occasions, Nicklaus put himself […]

Players: They’re Only Human

Yesterday David Wright of the New York Mets was hit in the helment with a 94-mph fastball from the San Francisco Giants’ Matt Cain. He was  taken to the hospital with a concussion. A few years ago, Brian Kinchen was teaching Bible school when his cell phone rang. It was the New England Patriots calling […]

The Role of Mistakes

Imagine a sports landscape in which there were no mistakes. Dave Johnson has done so, and what he sees isn’t pretty. The rallies go on forever, the score is endlessly tied, and there is no game. No sport. No thrill. Johnson, president-elect of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association, has written a thoughtful piece […]

Encouragement Works

Willie Mays ranks as one of the greatest players in big-league history. Yet his career ended almost before it began. Here, in an interview with the Academy of Achievement, he recalls the disastrous early days, when he was only 20 years old, far from home, and filled with doubt. “(When) I came to the majors, […]

Experiencing Life

Our family is on vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina this week, and the long drive to get here gives you time to think. In fact, it gives you time to think about thinking. Between the lights and the strictly enforced speed limits, it’s virtually impossible to make time. What a contrast to […]

A Winning Attitude

Yesterday we spoke about attitudes. Winners have a winning attitude. But what exactly does that mean? Years ago, Dr. Ron Gilbert, a sports psychology professor at Montclair State University in northern New Jersey, invited me to attend his classes. His message on Day One tells you all you need to know about becoming a winner. […]

Miracles Do Happen

Today marks an astonishing anniversary in baseball history. On this date in 1951, the New York Giants lost a game, and fell 13 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers with only seven weeks to go in the season. In baseball, being 13 games behind with only seven weeks to play usually means only one thing: Wait til […]

Lessons from a Legend

Like the rest of us, Pat Summitt, legendary coach of the Tennessee women’s basketball team, finds lessons everywhere. She recently ran into one in her own life. As she mentions in this video clip, Summitt came home one day to find her son had been cut from his basketball team. He was in tears. Summitt’s […]

A Day at the Pig Farm

You never know where your career will take you. For a young voice actor named Mel Blanc, the road led to a pig farm. After months of trying, he had been offered an opportunity at the Warner Brothers studio, and Blanc wanted to do make sure he didn’t fumble it. It seems the studio was […]

Using Humor

Last night comedian Don Rickles was a guest on Craig Ferguson’s talk show. Rickles is a legend who gained fame through his good-natured insults. Sure enough, the minute he got on the stage, he jabbed everyone in sight: the host, the audience, everyone. Pretty soon everyone in the building was in stitches. Rickles’ comedy is […]