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Archive for April, 2009

Role Models

“Some of the most important people in my life would be shocked to learn that they were role models. They weren’t celebrities, or even particularly accomplished. But they had some quality that I admired, that made me want to be like them.” ~ Don Moomaw Over the weekend I had the chance to watch a women’s lacrosse […]

The Power of Precision

“First master the fundamentals.” — Larry Bird If you ever get a chance to visit St Louis, check out not only the famous Gateway Arch, but also the video on how the arch was built. Workers constructed two legs that soared to a rendezvous 630 feet into the sky. But as the video emphasizes, the engineers […]

The Mind of a Champion

“Carelessness does more harm than a want of knowledge.” — Benjamin Franklin As the Stanley Cup playoffs open, one of my favorite hockey stories comes to mind. It takes place in the years 1980-83, when the New York Islanders were winning four straight championships. Mike Bossy was a key player for that dynasty, a highly […]

Saying Thank You

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” ~ William James TV commentator Joe Morgan tells the story of the one time he met Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major-league baseball 62 years years ago today. Morgan, himself an African-American who is in the baseball Hall of Fame, […]

What’s Holding You Back?

“The strength of a person is often weighed by how they deal with their weaknesses.” –– Nathaniel Summers If you’re not achieving all that you wish in your life and career, you can safely bet that the reasons aren’t all that complicated. Failure can usually be traced to one simple cause. Maybe it’s laziness. Perhaps […]

The Power of Great Challenges

“To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.” — Gail Sheehy Three stories merge into a single theme today. The first involves Angel Cabrera’s grueling victory in the Masters yesterday. Next comes the birthday of chess champion Gary Kasparov. Finally there is a play in last night’s Chicago-Milwaukee game in which […]

What Is True Toughness?

“Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential.” ~ Liane Cardes Was there ever a game where you wished your team had been tougher? In January, ESPN.com columnist Jay Bilas addressed the subject. He was writing about basketball in particular, but his comments apply to all sports and […]

Are You Having an Impact?

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”  ~ William James April 11, 2009 Of all the comments on the death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, the one by teammate Dustin Moseley deserves the attention of every coach. Moseley, a pitcher, said, “To see someone lose their life at such a young […]

Ritual or Superstition?

“Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course — the distance between your ears.”  ~ Bobby Jones Today marks the eve of the Masters golf tournament, the day when the players go through the ritual of the par-3 competition. And here’s where you’re likely to see lots of superstition: Since no one […]

The Courage to Be You

“I shouldn’t know you again if we did meet… you’re so exactly like other people.” — Alice Through the Looking Glass Francis Ford Coppola, who turns 70 today, is one of the top movie directors of all time, with masterpieces like Godfather, Godfather II and Apocalypse Now in his resume. He’s also a living example of the […]