Mental Game
Wayne Gretzky and Practice
On Wayne Gretzky’s birthday — he turns 51 today — I always think of practice and of Gretzky’s father, Walter.
One day, when Wayne Gretzky was already the greatest hockey player in the world, he was practicing with his team, the Edmonton Oilers. Walter watched from the stands.
Afterwards, the two drove home together.
“You just wasted two [...]
Team Culture
Let’s start with a trick question.
Does your team have a culture?
Remember, it’s a trick question. And the answer is yes.
Whether in sports, in business or even in your family, your group has a culture.
It may be weak or it may be strong, but it’s a culture.
It may be positive or it may be negative, but [...]
Daily Motivation
A few days ago, a coached reach out to me, said that her team was going through a rough stretch, and asked if I had any wisdom to offer.
I told her I had no wisdom of my own, but that there was plenty in this article from the Gold Medal Squared Web site.
Written by Loyola-Marymount [...]
Previewing Success
Lawrence Tynes did more than kick the New York Giants into the Super Bowl for the second time in his NFL career. He gave an example of a powerful mental technique that anyone can use.
“I imagined this last night,” Tynes said after his 31-yard field goal 7:06 into overtime gave the Giants a 20-17 [...]
Total Commitment
A chicken raced around the barnyard, spreading new good news. “Hooray!” he said. “We’re going to have bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning!” All the animals except the pig shared in the joy. The chicken approached the pig and asked him why he was so solemn when everyone else was so happy.
“For you,” [...]
Set Yourself on Fire
Years after his retirement, Hall of Fame baseball player Ty Cobb attended an Old Timers’ Day celebration at Yankee Stadium.
A reporter approached Cobb and asked him, “If you were playing in the modern era, what do you suppose your batting average would be?”
Cobb replied, “About .300.”
“Only .300?” said the startled reporter. “You have the highest [...]
Capt. Sullenberger’s Withdrawal
In a town where Babe Ruth, Joe Namath and Willis Reed won championships, no one has ever performed with as much skill under pressure as Sully Sullenberger did three years ago today.
In command of an airliner disabled shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Sullenberger put the craft safely into the Hudson River, [...]
Five Things Great Coaches Know
The mood at a coaches clinic always excites me. People are there because they want to be, not because they have to be. They want to learn. They talk shop.
Right now I’m in Elmhurst, Ill., speaking to the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association. While here I’ve already met great coaches. One of them [...]
Is Today Your Lucky Day?
A wise man once described the difference between superstition and ritual.
Superstition is doing things to avoid something bad. Rituals mean doing certain things to make something good happen.
Superstition involves belief in things beyond your understanding and control. Rituals are a way to organize the things that you can control.
All this comes to mind on Friday [...]
The First Men to See Barry Larkin
Getting drafted by a pro team guarantees nothing. History is filled with people who are picked high but who never live up to their potential. No one can ever say that about Barry Larkin. If anything, he went beyond expectations. Taken as the fourth overall pick in the 1985 draft, Larkin has landed in the [...]
