Deliberate Practice
Homework and Coaching
At first glance, you might not see much connection between school homework and gaining skill at a sport. But there’s one common theme: improvement.
Coaches and teachers alike should constantly be searching for ways to help their student-athletes get better at what they do.
In this article from the New York Times, the author argues that it’s [...]
Praise as Much as You Criticize
Whether you’re a coach, a teacher, a boss or a parent, you’re in the business of molding the future. How do you help people improve? How do you help others become all they can be?
There’s great advice in this article. It’s the Management Tip of the Day from the Harvard Business Review.
“Research shows that identifying [...]
Exercising the Problem-Solving Muscle
In the word of sports parenting, here’s how you keep up with the Jones:
Personal coach.
Psychologist.
Nutritionist.
Lawyer.
Lawyer?
Yes, according to this article in The Record of Bergen County, NJ, one father is suing because his daughter did not make the All-County team. He claims this is hurting her college chances.
You can decide whether the father has a point [...]
The Endless Search for Novelty
Well, it’s headed for 100 degrees here in New Jersey, USA. The heat wave led one radio announcer to say, “It was a rough winter and a very wet spring. No reason to think the summer won’t be extreme, too.”
One of my favorite quotes came from the world-class instruction at the Gold Medal Squared volleyball [...]
How Much of Your Future Can You Control?
The other day on TV, a baseball expert used the phrase “projectable body” to describe a player taken in the recent draft. By “projectable body,” the expert meant a body that, while not yet developed, will likely grow to become what’s needed in the big leagues.
That’s what the draft is all about. It’s not about [...]
The Power of You
A quick post today before the holiday weekend. I just saw a wonderful quote from Plato. It goes like this: “The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself.” It sounds like my favorite quote, which is “Some people think the battle is against others. The winner understands the struggle is within the self.” People [...]
Before Drills
I just attended the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ annual clinic in San Antonio. Sue Semrau, coach of the women’s team at Florida State, gave a knockout talk on “Building a Program.”
She relayed one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard.
“If you’re going to build ships, don’t hand out wood and nails, or divide up [...]
What Motivates People?
This article from US News sheds some light on what motivates children and adolescents. It compares and contrasts pupils in the United States and China.
It says that up to a certain age, pupils in both countries are motivated by a desire to please their parents. Then things change. As they move into adolescence, according to [...]
The NFL Draft and the Royal Wedding
What do the Royal Wedding and the NFL draft have in common?
Neither one can be judged by the early hoopla. Success is determined only over the long haul, and after adversity.
This is true is every area of life. A big splash is nothing compared to a deep pool. Anyone can be successful over one or [...]
Deciding to Be Great
“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Those words of Abraham Lincoln came to mind last night in the gym as I watched practice. Except I would like to paraphrase the famous president. What if we put it this way:
“Most people are about as skilled as they make up [...]
