There’s the story told of a conversation overheard years ago in a Chicago lounge, where a man was bragging about his career. At great length and in great detail, he told the man next to him about his life as a sports writer, about the ballplayers he knew, about the columns he wrote, about the […]
How would you like to go to Mars? A Russian research group has just wound up a 105-day experiment to test the ability of the crew to get along on such a trip. Here’s the reality of traveling to another planet: It takes time. And one of the concerns of scientists is whether people can […]
Today’s post comes in the form of a poem offered by the Coaching Toolbox web site. Many thanks to Kevin Reilly for sending it along. The poem portrays a young athlete learning how to handle praise; it would make great material to put on a gym wall. It also raises the issue of deliberate practice, […]
The Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets made a trade yesterday. I mention this not to talk baseball, but because trades always remind me of something my late, great boss, Hall of Fame baseball writer Milt Richman, used to say about trades. He said that whenever the team informs a player that he has […]
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 […]
The more I coach, the more I believe that mistakes hold the key to your destiny. Mistakes represent a fork in the road. At this fork, you decide whether to be frustrated or fascinated. You decide whether you will lose or learn. You decide whether you will quit or grow. A blog from the Positive […]
A man is walking past a pet store and sees a sign that says, “Talking Bird Inside.” He enters the store and asks the owner to show him this amazing merchandise. Sure enough, the bird is talking! He is telling the story of a long career as a spy, complete with dangerous missions and high […]
If you were in the gym and someone asked you, “What are you working on?” what would you say? Perhaps you would reply, “I’m just trying to get better.” That answer, of course, if not good enough. To really improve at something, you must have a specific focus. This idea comes to mind as I […]