“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 […]
Have you ever heard the story of Eric James Torpy? In a way, it is the story of too many people. Five years ago, Torpy was facing a 30-year term for shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Torpy didn’t want 30 years. He wanted 33 — to match the uniform number that […]
The other day, with practice only about 10 minutes old, I spoke to some players about their work habits. One of the players protested. “But that was only warmup,” she said. Only warmup? What could be more important than a strong warmup? Warmup sets the tone — physically, mentally and emotionally — for what will […]
For the past two weeks, we have been in camp, and I’ve had the privilege of coaching with two of my former players. Melissa is in college now, and came back to help out for a week. Lauren is a special education teacher, and she also spent a week in our gym. Their presence not […]
If there’s one thing that every coach and athlete wants to know, it’s how to get primed for the big game. There’s really only one answer to that question: There are no big games. There are only big moments, and the biggest moment is right now. Here’s how it works: Most people have no trouble […]
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about? — Henry David Thoreau (Note: Today’s post contains two items about use of time. The first concerns how time is spent specifically at practice. The second refers more generally to life.) What do you suppose are the […]
Years ago, people in the National Basketball Association grew accustomed to hearing a sound when they walked into the Boston Garden. It was the sound of Larry Bird putting shot after shot through the hoop in his pre-game practice. Bird’s pre-game practices were different from those of other players. His began hours before his Boston […]