You have heard of dream teams. There was the 1960s-70s folk rock group Crosby Stills Nash and Young, made up of star musicians. There was the American Olympic men’s basketball team of 1992. And then there was the team of lawyers who represented O.J. Simpson in his epic murder trial. In all three cases, lots […]
You’ve heard a lot of people tell you that if you work hard, you will be successful. And that is true. Kind of. Maybe you’ve asked yourself, “What if I do all this work and I still don’t win?” Fair question. There are real situations where two people work very hard toward a goal, compete […]
Somebody once told me that if you knew the secret to how magicians do their tricks, you would never watch magic again. It’s that boring. For instance, when a girl turns into a tiger, it’s just a simple switch with a trap door. See? Boring. The same is true with goaltending in the National Hockey […]
Last night I had the chance to watch a very good coach at work. She had designed a strong practice, and tried to set the tone by writing a quote on top of her whiteboard. It said, “The power of focus is what separates those who are good from those who are great.” When practice […]
I first heard of Sidney Crosby years ago when a sports writer friend mentioned a young man who was supposed to be the next Wayne Gretzky. Hockey insiders had even anointed him “The Next One.” Now, of course, this young man no longer has to be the next Gretzky. It’s quite enough for him to […]
Once again the New Jersey Devils have climbed to the top of their conference in the National Hockey League. This should surprise no one who follows the sport or the team; the Devils always put a superior team on on the ice. They don’t always win. But they usually contend. It is part of team […]
Here’s a follow-up on yesterday’s post on concussions. It concerns a fatality that occurred on the Montclair High School football team in New Jersey. It serves as a sobering reminder of the need for safety in all sports programs. Another article, this one published a decade ago, details the end of a hockey career. Brett […]
“Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.” ~ Unknown Happy Birthday to hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky, who turns 48 today. For many years, Gretzky was the best player in the National Hockey League, and some people say he is the best to ever play in that league. […]