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Archive for February, 2011

When Creative Isn’t Right

This quote popped up on a Web site and made me wince. It took me back to  practices I’ve run. Bad ones. It’s from Phyllis Hunter, a Houston-based consultant. “Teachers do not have a right to do whatever they think best in the classroom. It’s not about teachers or what the teachers need or the […]

What Is Your Brand?

I’m blogging from Cleveland airport, where I’m headed to Columbus, Ohio, to speak about “Seven Secrets of World-Class Practice.” I flew in on Continental, and can eat at Subway. You’re familiar with those brands. They endure; they don’t change depending on the weather or what time of day it is. How about you? If you […]

The Day They Turned Down Muhammad Ali

Former big-leaguer Al Leiter tells a great story about team focus and chemistry. In the MLB network’s airing of the “20 Greatest Games,” Leiter recalls a key point in the 1997 World Series between his Florida Marlins and the Cleveland Indians. With the Series tied at one victory apiece, someone offered to fly in boxing […]

The 14 Killer Words

It’s one thing to WANT to win. It’s another thing to HAVE to win. And the New York Yankees think they HAVE to win. With spring training barely underway, team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner has already reminded the clubhouse about the goal. He took a swipe at shortstop Derek Jeter’s new mansion as a symbol of […]

Why Some People Don’t Learn from Their Mistakes

Think of the last time something went wrong in your life. Perhaps it was a project that came up short, an accident on the road, or even an illness. How much of it was unavoidable, and how much of it was due to mistakes you made? If you tend to blame outside factors instead of […]

Herb Brooks’ Gold Medal Secret

Feb. 22 marks 31 years since the U.S. Olympic hockey team upset the Soviet Union en route to the gold medal. Those of us old enough to remember saw the jubilation and the celebration on the ice. But no one saw the hard work behind the feat. Except the players. They will never forget. After […]

Adversity Training

Thousands of high school and college athletes will soon be playing in tournaments. All these athletes have one thing in common: They will face some sort of adversity. Perhaps it will be an injury, maybe a bad call by an official. They will go into a slump, or fall behind in a game. Some sort […]

Energy Drinks

Be aware of what kind of drinks your players bring into the gym. Newscore is reporting on a study just published in the journal Pediatrics that says energy drinks offer no health benefits and may be harmful to young people. The article says that drinks, according to researchers from the University of Miami, have a […]

The Most Important Quality

Does the number 233 mean anything to you? Probably not. But maybe this article can make you think about it, and how important it is to your coaching. It turns out that the number 233 represents the amount of days it would take for astronauts to travel from Earth to Mars. That’s a lot of […]

Extreme Performers

We hear a lot about extreme sports nowadays. But how about extreme performers in a normal sport? No one can match Stefaan Engels in that regard. Running one marathon now and then is not for him. He just finished running 365 in a single year. His average time was about four hours, not nearly enough […]