Peak Performance
How the 49ers Turned It Around
In his first year as coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Coach Jim Harbaugh led the team to its first playoff berth since 2002. On Saturday the 49ers host the New Orleans Saints, another franchise that has prospered after decades of futility.
How? How do turnaround artists show people how to win?
Harbaugh said something that really [...]
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 [...]
Tim Tebow and Deep Belief
Now comes another story about Tim Tebow and faith.
No, not Tebow’s religious faith. This time, it’s the belief that Tebow’s teammates have in him.
In beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in overtime on Wild-Card Sunday, the Denver Broncos looked like a team with great belief in each other and in their quarterback, Tebow.
“He showed he’s a [...]
Mariano Rivera in Person
It’s a scene played out all over the country — and even outside the country — during baseball’s off-season.
Big-league players make appearances, either for money, as a favor or out of a sense of gratitude.
Whatever the reason, you never know what effect these visits can have. It’s like a stone thrown into a pond. No [...]
How J.J. Watt Did It
Not long ago, J.J. Watt was delivering pizzas for a living. Yesterday he delivered one of the biggest plays of Wild Card Saturday.
Watt intercepted an Andy Dalton pass and returned it for a touchdown, leading the Houston Texans past the Cincinnati Bengals in the first game of the NFL playolffs.
Watt’s, play according to Houston defensive [...]
What Do Field-Goal Kickers Think About?
You can say with confidence that at least one of this weekend’s NFL playoff games will be decided by a field goal attempt that either is made or missed.
For instance, the Denver Broncos, who play the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, would not even be in the playoffs were it not for Matt Prater. He kicked field [...]
Stephen Hawking and Excuses
Hockey legend Mark Messier has said, “The minute you start making excuses, you’ve got one foot in the grave.”
If you coach, teach or lead in any way, you’ve probably heard lots of excuses. I know I have. And you’ve probably made some. I know I have. (“We’re in a tough conference.” “Our best player is [...]
What Not to Say When Coaching
Any coach has two main jobs: to teach and to motivate. That process involves words, so we must be very careful about the exact words we use.
Jack Perconte has offered a wonderful article on things to say and to not say. Among his points is that your tone and body language make all the difference [...]
Competition in Practice
Three factors — the NHL’s recent Winter Classic, the cold wave in the Northeast, and a conversation with mental toughness guru Craig Sigl — made me think of the Canadian game of shinny.
Shinny is a simple variation of ice hockey in which one player tries to keep the puck, and all the others try to [...]
The Emergence of Victor Cruz
Victor Cruz of the New York Giants is headed for the playoffs, and he’ll get more attention from the Atlanta Falcons than he did in the 2010 draft.
That’s because Cruz has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL after being passed over by every team in the league. That’s right. Less [...]
