Perhaps you’ve never heard of K. Anders Ericsson. Whether you have or not, he is one of the most important people in your gym every day. Ericsson is a professor who has done extensive research into the field of skill: How to build it, keep it and deepen it. As this article points out, you […]
Bill Belichick showed that he is human. He also showed what makes him a great coach. Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, took a huge gamble that did not work out Sunday night, and his team wound up losing to the Indianapolis Colts. As a result of the failed gamble, Belichick has received some […]
Millions of people got a kick out of last week’s story in which a low-flying pelican and a cell phone conspired to send a million-dollar car into a Texas salt marsh. But as zany and comical as it is, the episode carries powerful lessons for all — including coaches and athletes. To recap, a man […]
Motivational speaker Tom Hughes is celebrating a milestone. He has just offered the 300th edition of his newsletter, “Motivational Moments.” Hughes gathered his material in his years as a basketball coach. Among the gems is the story of the bluebird: An early winter freeze descended on the land, and the little bluebird decided he would […]
Many thanks to Jim Luttrell, who always sends along the latest from the Positive Coaching Alliance. In this issue, Jim Thompson is blogging about positivity, and uses a recent camping trip to underline the point. On this particular expedition, mistakes lead to inconvenience for everyone. It would be easy for people to complain and blame. […]
Years ago, the Star-Ledger of New Jersey printed a profile of New Jersey Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello. With it they included the following “Guide to Everyday Business Success,” noting that Lamoriello says he reads it several times a day. With the Devils approaching record success on the road, perhaps it would be well worthwhile […]
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 […]
Last Sunday, three teams at our school — the Montclair Kimberley Academy — won state prep championships. I asked the three coaches to name the one factor they believe was the difference. Notice that in their response, all the qualities are mental. What was important was not so much the skill but the approach to […]
What is the difference between baseball players who reach the big leagues and those who don’t? In case you’re tempted to say talent, forget it. Every year, players picked late in the draft (those considered to have less talent) overtake glamorous first-round prospects. Sometimes, non-drafted players (those not even considered worth giving a shot) zoom […]
Yesterday I forgot to include the link to Dave Cross’ article on “No Surprises.” It’s here for the reading. Dave is the National Director of “Yes, I Can!” volleyball, and his article led me to think about about some definite “no’s” for your program. For instance, there should definitely be no excuses on your team. […]