Every time you see a sports team with an extraordinary winning streak, you immediately ask, “How do they do it?” Thanks to the eagle eye of Larry O’Connor, who pointed out a recent story in the New York Times, we get another chance to analyze the question. This time it’s Smith Center, Kan., home to […]
Many thanks to Jeff Beer for sending this New York Times item on Roger Federer’s footwork. My favorite part is the very beginning. It concerns Federer’s ability to PERCEIVE quickly. The narrator says Federer’s split step begins the moment he sees the opponent’s racquet come forward to hit the ball. This early recognition is a […]
Three items today. First is the beautiful simplicity of beating the competition. Sports psychologist Dr. Rob Gilbert came to our gym yesterday and told our team about the crucial moment: “When you’re tired and frustrated is where it begins. Because that’s when others quit.” Right there Dr. Gilbert has explained the difference between winners and […]
“If you want a quality, act as if you already had it.” — William James A childhood game can instantly improve your chances of reaching your goals. Melissa Johnson writes about it in Saturday’s New York Times, recalling Harvard’s epic upset of Stanford in the 1998 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Johnson profiles Kathy Delaney-Smith, who […]
“You always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” — Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Speed skaters go faster. Pole vaulters jump higher. Athletes over a wide range of sports improve their performance. But not free throw shooters in basketball. According to a story on the front page of yesterday’s New York […]