// archives

Archive for May, 2009

What Happened to the Cavaliers?

  “Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.” ~ Adam Hochschild For two straight playoff series, the Cleveland Cavaliers not only looked unbeatable, they in fact were unbeatable. They played eight games and won them all, winding up in the Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic. Then suddenly they were no longer unbeatable. […]

The Zone

This time of year brings to mind one of my favorite stories from my days of covering pro hockey. The New York Islanders were deep into the playoffs, and one of their top players, Bryan Trottier, was being interviewed after a victory. Someone asked Trottier how he felt about the way things were going. “Scared,” […]

Learning How to Win

“Forget perfect on the first try.  In the face of frustration, your best tool is a few deep breaths, and remembering that you can do anything once you’ve practiced two hundred times.  Seriously.” — Andrea Buchanan, author, the Daring Book for Girls Do you have to lose in order to learn how to win? That’s […]

Creating a Team Culture

“A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skill of the others.”  – Norman S. Hidle What  makes the difference between one successful season …and a successful program? The answer is culture. What are the shared values in your locker room? The standards? Is the […]

Developing a Routine

If the Orlando Magic wind up winning the NBA title, they may owe their success in part to a song that was played at halftime on Sunday. The song helped Dwight Howard relax at the free-throw line, and his 14-for-19 shooting — well above his career average of 59 percent — contributed to his team’s […]

What Players Need Most From a Coach

“My goal in sailing isn’t to be brilliant or flashy in individual races, just to be consistent over the long run.” — Dennis Conner At this time of year in 1941, Joe DiMaggio’s epic 56-game hitting streak was in the early stages. Beginning in mid-May and continuing until well into July, DiMaggio got at least […]

Talent and performance

Today will be a short post and may be updated later. In the meantime, here’s a link to a very interesting post on where talent fits into the performance equation. The article also links to a Fast Company Magazine interview with K. Anders Ericsson, an expert in the field of expert performance. You can read […]

Success As a Way of Life

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an action but a habit.” Shawn Johnson is a winner once more. A gold medalist in Olympic gymnastics in 2008, Johnson last night captured the “Dancing With the Stars” championship. Some people may chalk up these two titles to some natural coordination and agility. That’s […]

Inspiring Your Players

“To achieve the impossible, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought.” — Tom Robbins  What is the most important job of a coach? Some people would say to teach. Others would say to motivate. But there is a third job, one that goes with other two: to inspire. A great coach can help a […]

Getting Past Mistakes

“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.” ~ E.H. Chapin Did you ever beat yourself up over making a mistake? Many people do. In fact, the inability to get past a mistake keeps many athletes and coaches from reaching their potential. There are two things to know about mistakes. One, everybody […]