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Archive for January, 2010

World-Class Motivation

With the Olympics coming up, we soon will be seeing people whose skills are world-class. And most of us will be tempted to think that those people live in a different world from us. But that’s not true. In today’s world — especially in today’s economy — everyone needs high-level skills. And to acquire high-level […]

How Bad Do You Really Want It?

How bad do you really want it? Few questions will mean as much in your life as that one. Because the more you want something, the more likely you will get it. Great achievements begin with great passion. Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, once reported to training camp six weeks before required. He […]

Precious Practice Minutes

Yesterday I overheard a conversation between coaches who were setting up a program. Of all the things they discussed, what really shone forth was a reverence for each minute of practice. One coach emphasized that there must be a reason for everything that the team does. The time can be put to maximum use. For […]

True Hard Work

W.C. Fields once starred in a short comedy called “The Dentist.” At one point, with his patient on the ground, and with his extractor firmly locked onto her tooth, Fields pauses to fan himself. In that one comic gesture, Fields forgets who’s really doing the hard work. It’s the same way in the gym. People […]

Gretzky’s Great Practices

Today is Wayne Gretzky’s 49th birthday. Some people believe he is the greatest hockey player who ever lived. My favorite story about Gretzky involves his dad, who came to watch him practice one day during the Stanley Cup playoff season. Afterward, the story goes, the elder Gretzky told his son that the practice session had […]

Details That Doom

Just as in Canada’s Grey Cup, a too-many-men penalty made all the difference in yesterday’s Vikings-Saints game. Everyone associated with the Vikings — players, coaches and fans — will long remember a detail that cost the team a chance to go to the Super Bowl. “Just the slightest bit of miscommunication,” left guard Steve Hutchinson […]

Staying Entertained

If you’ve flown recently, you may have seen a screen directly in front of your seat, showing previews and inviting you to — for a price — “stay entertained.” “Stay entertained.” That pretty much sums up life today. Whether it’s a TV show, an IPod or a cell phone, we have devices that invite us […]

When Discouragement Strikes

Friday marked the 18th birthday of “Success Hotline,” a daily motivational phone recording from Dr. Rob Gilbert. In those messages, which number more than 6,000, one stands out for me. Dr. Gilbert tells the story of a strongman who can bend an iron bar. At first the bar won’t move. That’s when things change. The […]

Best Daily Habit for Coaches

Today I’m speaking to the New Mexico Track and Cross Country Coaches Association in Albuquerque. This talk and opportunity would never have become possible without the inspiration and teaching of my friend and mentor, Dr. Rob Gilbert. Rob is a sports psychologist whose passion is helping bring out the potential in others. Somehow Rob helped […]

Bulletin Board Material

Have coaches been doing it wrong all these years? According to sports wisdom, coaches were never supposed to say anything to rile up an opponent. You never wanted to provide something that the other team could put up on its bulletin board for motivation. Now here comes New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan, who seemingly […]