tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629833561040666752024-02-06T23:24:44.736-05:00Marbles of WisdomI am a self-diagnosed basketball junkie. I currently coach elite development boys in Canada and love every second of it. It is challenging, invigorating, nerve-wracking, time consuming and extremely rewarding.Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-14183665462994529472017-04-23T18:26:00.000-04:002017-04-23T18:34:37.420-04:00A Coach's Plea to Parents<div style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I came across this from a coaching friend of mine and thought I would share it this week. Sometimes parents can be really hard on their kid's coach. I think sometimes we have to have some perspective about how complicated their lives can be as well. It doesn't hurt to have extra people in the lives of your kids who support and care about them. Having compassion, understanding and allowing your child to have their own experience is really important for them to be able to grow and evolve into a strong capable person. With this in mind I share this amazing letter. </span></i><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Coach’s Plea to Parents</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am here, on time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mortgage is two-weeks late; my oldest child is suffering through a medication change and trouble at school; my youngest child begged me not to leave, and my husband and I haven’t looked each other in the eye for days. I spent much of the day holding my aging dog as she recovered from a seizure.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But none of this matters now. I am here. I compose myself and prepare for the next 90 minutes on the field with your child. And mine; she has already leapt from the car and disappeared into the growing crowd of girls.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes you wave as you drive away, and sometimes you don’t. It usually depends if we won the previous weekend and if you felt your child had been given an appropriate amount of play time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your daughter is funny and kind and thoughtful. And tonight your daughter had a great practice. She struggled with a new skill and shook off a solid smack to her ear from a ball. And, we laughed. She also told me something that has been bothering her, asking shyly that I not tell anyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I explained why she was subbed off last game. She nodded in agreement and asked how to get better. We hugged, she thanked me, and we moved on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She likes a boy, she hates her thighs. Her best friend ignored her today and she still has difficult homework to get through after practice. She got her period in art class. And yet she’s here with me in the freezing rain, our cleats rotting and our noses dripping. She is here because her team provides a safe shield from the outside world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We sweat together, we celebrate together and we all feel the same sting of defeat when the bounce of the ball is not in our favour. We step on the field with the best intentions. We try.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I always leave the field a better person than when I arrived.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the time it takes me to drive home, dry off and microwave my dinner, you have hastily typed an e-mail. My youngest has fallen asleep on the couch and my husband is cleaning the kitchen while I sit at the table alone, reading how you feel I’ve let your child down.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You believe last weekend’s loss was due to my poor decisions. Your daughter would have scored the winning goal if I only had subbed her in earlier or let her play a different position. You believe they aren’t playing like a team should. You watched a Premier League game and they seem so much more in tune with each other.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s a shame, I think, that you missed the girls hugging and cheering each other on tonight while you were at the coffee shop around the corner.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If we win, I’ll read that it’s because the more talented girls got too much playing time; that I’m too competitive; that I’m pushing them too hard; that I’ve managed to crush the souls of the players on the bench. If we lose, it’s because I played the developing players too much; I am ruining the stronger players’ chance at future glory; I’m not pushing them hard enough. What do we even do during practice anyway?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know what you’ve told her about me and I know what you’ve said about her teammates. And yet, your daughter and I both keep showing up. We keep trying.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I may not do it the way you would. I may not speak to your daughter the way you would, but she needs more than one voice in her head.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am not a professional. I am a parent who loves the game and has the desire to pass that on. I accepted the role I was offered; not for a paycheque, not for status, certainly not for praise. I accepted this role because I have been where your daughter is now. I see myself in her missteps and in her triumphs. I have felt them all and I feel them all over again through her. I, too, have been bruised by a ball, pulled muscles in tough tackles and played with a broken heart. I also had coaches who believed in me, just as I believe in your daughter.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Knowing I had someone in my corner who challenged me and called out my excuses was the greatest reward of my years in sport. I vaguely remember the final scores of even the most important games, but I sure remember how I felt. Winning doesn’t promise pride, just as losing doesn’t guarantee disappointment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my parents’ great gifts to me was their unwavering support of my coaches. They never wrote a letter, made a complaint phone call or disrespected a coach – even when my eyes stung and I desperately needed it to be someone else’s fault. It was my team, my game, my experience to have.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I learned early on that my coach was neither my parent nor my friend. I admired them and sought their praise. I hated them sometimes, too. If I thought I deserved a higher standing on that team, it was up to me to earn it. My parents sure weren’t going to earn it for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Criticizing your child’s coach might simply be a reflection of your insecurities or long-held regrets as a former player. That’s okay. We all have them. As adults we can understand this, but as a child, your daughter does not. She is being pulled in opposing directions between her team and her parent’s opinion of her team.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On her team, she is finding her identity and her place among her peers. It is here she will decide if that place makes her feel whole and satisfied, or if it makes her edgy and hungry for more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let her discover this, on her own.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let her play.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alison Belbin lives in Nanaimo, B.C</span></span></div>
<br />Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-41200091767007978682017-04-16T20:48:00.000-04:002017-04-16T20:48:24.830-04:00History in the Making - Another Female Football Kicker<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was reading a story about a young woman that signed a letter of intent to play college football at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, as a kicker on the men’s football team.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Becca Longo follows the steps of a few female kickers that have cracked College Football rosters over the years in the NCAA.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The list is actually quite a bit longer than I expected, according to Wikipedia, as it is now sitting at around 11.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What makes this story great is that Longo is the first woman to receive college football scholarship from a D-II school or higher. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Becca got into football as it was a shared interest between her and her brother. Being that her brother was 11 years older than her Longo found they didn’t have many shared interests so football became a bonding point for them. Since her brother had a female kicker on his team when he played he really encouraged her to do it if she wanted to. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the last little while Becca’s story has really started to gain a lot of attention. Recently it has been a lot more positive but she said that it hasn’t been the case all along. She initially got a lot of negativity including classmates making fun of her asking her if she was wearing her boyfriend’s jersey. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The source of strength Becca has found has been in her teammates who all wore her jersey to school before her first-ever high school football game to show her support. One of the biggest supporters has been her coach at Adams State Timm Rosenbach who treats her like a football player and an athlete not as just as a girl. Rosenbach has explained that his wife was a former pro athlete and so he sees her as a football player who has earned the opportunity on his team. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Years ago I read “Still Kicking” the book by Katie Hnida who was the first woman to play Division I college football in the early 2000’s with the University of Colorado and then transferred to the University of New Mexico. She talked about the struggles and joys of being on the men’s football team. It is very inspiring to see stories like this continue to evolve. Hnida put up with a lot of tough circumstances and harassment when she was playing football. Unfortunately, she was raped and sexually harassed but those circumstances have made her much stronger as she continued her football career at a different school. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the book Hnida said “I never intentionally set out to break a barrier; I was simply following a dream. But as I followed that dream, there were many obstacles that blocked my way. There were times when it would have been easier to simply back down from those obstacles. But I realized that I had to reach deep inside and keep going to reach my dream. I know that doing things that are important or significant seldom come easy. I owed it to myself and to those who believed in me. I wasn’t going to let anyone take away something that was in my heart.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are things that are just innate in people who push to do great things in life. I think the thing that is most interesting is that we are all humans and sometimes we focus so much on the things that make us different than one another. There are so many things that we have in common. I am not sure why that difference in gender is such a source of contention. I wish it could be a source of support and pride that someone is willing to challenge the boundaries in an area where they can excel and contribute in such a positive way. I really hope that Becca has a more positive experience in the next phase of her life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hnida went on to say in her book “Sitting here. I can just smell it. Football. The sweat, the fresh-cut grass, the night air. God I love it. It’s hard to believe everything I’ve gone through to get to this point - so much pain, so much heartache. But when you are doing something that has never been done before, there is no blueprint to follow. There is no instruction manual, no emergency button, nothing solid to rely on. You just go day by day. I don’t regret a second of any of it, though - none of the work, the hurt, or the disappointments I’ve gone through chasing my dream… it’s made me stronger, forced me to look deeper and strive for more. No matter what I have gone through, no matter what I have to go through, I am going to make this happen. I know who I am and I know where I am supposed to be - on the football field, still kicking.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wishing Becca Longo all the best as she embarks on her journey and the full weight of her experience. I hope you take it further than Katie and the other women did before you! You are going to do great! </span></span></div>
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Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-80114583231390623652017-04-02T21:32:00.000-04:002017-04-02T21:36:46.230-04:00Force of Nature - Pat Summitt<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat Summitt was a force of nature on the basketball court. I always meant to write about her after she died back in June of 2016 but other ideas seemed to take precedents. This week I decided to try to tackle my desire to honour her. I guess the most challenging part is to try to do her justice in a short article. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I think of Pat Summitt two images come to mind I think of her icy stare standing at half court with her arms crossed or I think about her yelling her head off on the sidelines into the court. Always dressed up in stylish trendy outfits for the times in both instances. She was an intense take no prisons type of lady and seemed to have an ability to bend other people into submission with a simple glance in their direction. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over her career Pat’s accomplishments are many, some of which include: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Amassing 1098 wins </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Winning 8 NCAA Division 1 Championships </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Earning Coach of the Year 7 times </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Winning 2 Olympic Gold Medals as a Coach </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Winning an Olympic Silver Medal as a Player </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back in 1974, when Pat started coaching at the University of Tennessee she was a 22 year old graduate assistant. She took over the reigns of the team as the Head Coach when the previous coach suddenly quit the very next season. This meant that she wasn’t more than a year or two older than many of her players. I am not sure how many female coaches there would have been in women’s college basketball during that time but it certainly wasn’t many. Her monthly salary her first year was $250 and it was also her responsibility to wash the uniforms and drive the van during team trips. Pat was an enormous influence in changing the course of women’s basketball from early 1970’s until she passed in 2016. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the players Pat coached was Candace Parker who went on to play in the WNBA. In her book “Sum It Up” Pat regales the tail of benching Candace twice. The first time was because she wasn’t listening to the instructions and wasn’t denying the ball to the middle. Pat told her “You either stick to it, or you won’t play.” The team was trailing at the time but Pat didn’t care it was the principle of it that made her sit Candace. Pat mentioned that part of her wanted to see how her team would respond without their star player. The Lady Vols ended up losing that game in overtime. The second time Candace was benched was due to her missing curfew by 20 minutes. The team decided to bench her for the first half of the game. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat seemed to do everything she could at times to unsettle her players especially when they were too pleased with themselves. One time the girls arrived at practice and no basketballs were present. Pat made them climb all the way to the top of the bleachers and reflect on what it takes for their fans to get there to see them play. The time the fans take to get to the game and the money they spend to support what they were doing. She didn’t want them to take the support they had for granted and so it forced them to play with a sense of pride. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those close to her often thought Pat was just interested in taking the proverbial snow globe and just shaking it up. According to her assistant coach that said this he thought she just wanted to see how the snowflakes would fall back down. Pat never wanted her team to get too comfortable. Her team was played with an edge and weren’t easily rattled. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, near the end of her career Pat was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers. This caused her to have to step down from her coaching duties and pass the reigns over to one of her long time assistants. During the process of being diagnosed those around her were focusing on all the things that she couldn’t do “can’t drive, can’t travel, can’t work,” and the list went on and on. Pat chose to change what the focus was by changing her attitude about it. She focused on realizing it would become what she made of it. She had known for sometime that something wasn’t quite right but she had been working her way through it for years. When it was time she faced Alzheimers head on like every other challenge that came up in her life. She didn’t resign her coaching role right away she decided to wind down her career instead. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although there were symptoms and she had restrictions Pat still believed she could do two things well she was able to still teach and lead. She received word that Tennessee may not let her continue to be a part of the program which was a huge blow considering where she had taken it over the years. The Tennessee program she had built had been a labour of love she had put her heart and soul into for nearly 4 decades. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat had to realize that her battle with dementia wasn’t going to be a battle that she could win. She wasn’t going to be able to raise a banner to the rafters this time. The victory was going to be maintaining a small amount of say over her daily life and not feeling helpless on a day to day basis. It was going to be all about buying time as much as possible.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After meeting with the Tennessee executive a role was fashioned for Pat to remain part of the program for as long was she wanted to be there. The next step in making her condition known was to tell her team. She gathered her players around and made the announcement about her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. All of her players started to cry the last thing that Pat wanted was to lose sight of the goal or to have people feel sorry for her. She quickly said “Listen up, this is not a pity party. Hear me? We’re not going to cry over this. I’m still your coach.” She went on to explain that when receiving a diagnosis like this you don’t stop living. They were going to reorganize the staff and their goals would be the same going forward to “cut down the net”. She also assured them she wasn’t going to forget their names or forget to yell at them which definitely lightened the mood. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat’s declined was sudden. According to research once diagnosed a patient’s typical life expectancy is between 8 to 10 years and Pat has already been dealing with it silently for years before seeking treatment. The thing is that brain issues can be hidden because it is only the person who has the injury who can really truly understand the severity of it. There are many things that can be hidden until it gets too bad and the person isn’t able to conceal it anymore. Pat was brave for handling it the way she did. She rallied against it and didn’t go down easy. Her decline may have been rapid but it wasn’t for a lack of fight that it for sure. The courageous way she faced it head on is incredibly inspiring and that she didn’t give up her passion of coaching until she felt she had no other choice. That way of living is truly inspiring! </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my opinion, Pat didn’t just blaze the trail for women coaches she also created a map and paved the road. At least 25 of her former players have pursued careers in coaching and basketball management. Each one of the players she worked with over her 38 years of coaching are better people for having experienced her tough love no nonsense approach of getting things done. As mentioned before Pat was a force of nature and love was the counterbalance to every move she made. I have personally learned a great deal from her and think that she is one of those women that could get the best out of anyone she worked with. Rest in peace Pat Summitt. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-47672548674418611262017-03-26T18:24:00.002-04:002017-03-26T18:24:15.506-04:00Uncommon Compassion <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I saw a video on YouTube the other day about a young girl who was wanting to learn how to skateboard. The skate park was full of teenaged boys who were being loud and obnoxious which can be incredible intimidating for anyone let alone a younger elementary school girl. She was all ready to go with her helmet, protective padding and of course her skateboard. She was apprehensive at first to get on to the ramps and try it out until her mom encouraged her it was a community skatepark which meant she was allowed to use it just like everybody else. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When she got on the park the boys where zooming past her from every angle. Some of them weren’t showing any concern for her personal space. One of the boys approached the girl thinking the worst the mother got ready with her best “she is just as entitled to use the park as you are.” But, then something surprising happened the teenaged boy instead asked if he could help her with a few things and when she said yes he gave her some pointers on how to fix her feet as well as her technique. He stuck with it and even protected her from the other guys when they weren’t being considerate of her despite being ridiculed by some of his friends. The little girl left with a very different experience than had he not been there which is so special. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I couldn’t help but remember back to one of my experiences when I was going to college at NAIT in Edmonton. It was the summer and I was training to be part of the women’s team again in the fall but I had a problem there wasn’t a lot of places where I could go to play pick-up. Many of my teammates were working or had moved back home for the summer. As is the case for many female athletes you get used to playing against guys in order to have a good run and to get better. I heard from some of the guys on the men’s team that there were runs at Common Wealth Stadium where the Edmonton Eskimos’ CFL Football team plays so I decided to check it out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am not going to lie it was a bit of a rough crowd because at the time the locations around that stadium was intense. It was also one of those runs that if you don’t win you are waiting hours to be able to play again. It was also an atmosphere were guys would argue over whether something was a foul or not for what seemed like hours. There were even blood stains on the floor from when some of these arguments got escalated. At first I would just go and watch and shoot around on the side. It wasn’t long before I started to be invited to play with some of the regulars when they were short a player. I soon found out that many of the guys were part of the Edmonton Eskimos football team. They told me that basketball was the first game they loved but many of them either stopped growing or had a more physical build that lead them to excel further at football. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I remember one day I was at the gym and I wanted to get in on the game. I was as usual the only woman in the gym. I started asking around who had “Next” I was pointed to a white guys in his early or mid-thirties. I asked him if his team was playing next and he said yes. Then I asked him if he had a full team to which he responded No. When I asked him if I could play on his team his response still sticks in this mind to this day. He looked up from tying his shoes and said “Are you kidding? I’ll get killed if I have a girl on my team!” I just looked at him stunned and White Dude went back to tying his shoes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the CFL guys heard him say that to me and he immediately stepped in and said “You can be on my team! We Got Next after them”. It just so happened White Dude picked up a couple of guys from the team that lost right before his game so they ended up winning. Now the team I was on was playing against him. I ended up scoring a couple of the baskets and we lost by 1 point in a very good close game. As I made my way off the court White Dude came over to me and shook my hand at half court. He looked me in the eye and said “Good game!” I was a bit stunned that he was brave enough to come over like that after being so blatantly sexist a few moments earlier. I think I stayed around to watch a few more games and made sure to thank the football guy for stepping in and letting me play on his team. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On my ride home I was so disappointed and hurt by White Dude but I was also so impressed by the football guy who stepped up and came to my defence. I went home pulled out my sports magazines and made a collage of the male basketball players and then I pulled out all my fashion magazines and actually found female heads that matched the positions them men’s bodies were in and glued them over top. It was hard at that point in time to find actual pictures of female athletes. I left that up on my wall for years as it was my way of making a statement that I was just as capable as the guys were. It looked so powerful to me and helped me to not get caught up in someone else’s definition in terms of what I was capable of. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It wasn’t long after that that whenever I would go to the Common Wealth other football players would invite me to be part of their team. Some of them would downplay it and say “I’ll take the girl I guess” when we were making school yard picks so that they looked like I was getting the sympathy vote we would catch other unsuspecting guys off guard that didn’t know me. One time I hit 2 threes on one guy before one of the guys on his team yelled at him and said “Man, D-Up there is a reason she is playing with guys! She can play!” I still hit a couple more shots on him even when he was trying. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think it is so powerful when people help to create an environment for people who are outsiders to feel included. I really liked in the skateboarding story when the boy asked if he could help the girl before just starting to help without getting permission. Some people refer to this unsolicited advice as “mansplaining” because some men have a bad habit of thinking they need to fix things or women are doing without their permission. If you are going to provide help you should ask if the person wants it first. It is much less intrusive than just giving it without knowing if it will be received. Plus, sometimes the recipient knows more than you so it isn’t necessary to explain. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last point I want to make is many times male teenagers get a bad reputation for acting like jerks especially when they are in a group together. They are often loud, aggressive and act intimidating. I would love to know that some of my players and young men I work with take a step outside the box and surprise people with showing uncommon compassion. Just like the teenage boy did for the girl at the skate park and the football player did for me in the pickup game. Compassion and care go a long way and give people the gift of support which helps others in marginalized groups feel a sense of power and a feeling they do belong. Who knows if the little girl will continue to skateboard but I know I continued to feel comfortable in male dominated environments due to the kindness I was shown by those football guys. You never know how a small act can spark someone else in a very big way or the long term impact it will have. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-67187550349631643822017-03-19T18:45:00.002-04:002017-03-19T18:45:31.641-04:00James Clear's Article - Grit: A Brief Guide on Building Mental Toughness <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">One of the places that nearly every single player can build is mental toughness. I often refer to James Clear who writes amazing articles on finding personal greatness. Here is what he has to say on this topic of Building Mental Toughness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Grit: A Brief Guide on Building Mental Toughness</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>by James Clear</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2dyaXQ_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0">Read this on JamesClear.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you want to become more mentally tough, then you'll want to read this article.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Grit is one of the hottest concepts in psychology right now. Researchers are talking about how athletes can develop more grit and mental toughness in their training, how teachers can foster greater grit in the classroom, and how individuals like you and I can build grit into our daily lives. In this short round up, I'm going to lay out a summary of what grit and mental toughness are and share a few of my best resources on the topic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>What is Grit?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">First, let's define grit. In technical terms, grit is the perseverance and passion to achieve long–term goals. Sometimes you will hear grit referred to as mental toughness. Angela Duckworth, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the leading researcher on grit, suggests that grit is a strong predictor of success and ability to reach one's goals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Duckworth's research on grit has shown that…</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>West Point cadets who scored highest on the Grit Test were 60% more likely to succeed than their peers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ivy League undergraduate students who had more grit also had higher GPAs than their peers — even though they had lower SAT scores and weren’t as “smart.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When comparing two people who are the same age but have different levels of education, grit (and not intelligence) more accurately predicts which one will be better educated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Competitors in the National Spelling Bee outperform their peers not because of IQ, but because of their grit and commitment to more consistent practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you'd like to dive into the details, <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL21lbnRhbC10b3VnaG5lc3M_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">I wrote about Duckworth's research here</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">For a video explanation, you can <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2dyaXQ_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpI3ZpZGVvIn0"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">watch this short TED Talk</span></a>, which explains the concept of grit and how it helps foster mental toughness in our everyday lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>How to Be Mentally Strong</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As a quick primer, let me lay out three simple steps to develop grit and become more mentally strong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Step 1: Define what grit or mental toughness means for you.</b></span><span style="color: black; font-kerning: none;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>For you, it might be…</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>going one month without missing a workout</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>delivering your work ahead of schedule for two days in a row</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>calling one friend to catch up every Saturday this month</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Whatever it is, be clear about what you’re going after.</span></div>
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Step 2: Build grit with small physical wins.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So often we think that grit is about how we respond to extreme situations, but what about everyday circumstances?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mental toughness is like a muscle. It needs to be worked to grow and develop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Choose to do the tenth rep when it would be easier to just do nine. Choose to create when it would be easier to consume. Choose to ask the extra question when it would be easier to accept. Prove to yourself — in a thousand tiny ways — that you have enough guts to get in the ring and do battle with life.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); color: #232323;">Read more: <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2hhYml0LWNyZWVwP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">The Proven, Reasonable and Totally Unsexy Secret to Success</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Step 3: Build strong habits and stop depending on motivation.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Grit isn’t about getting an incredible dose of inspiration or courage. It’s about building the daily habits that allow you to stick to a schedule and overcome challenges and distractions over and over and over again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mentally tough people don’t have to be more courageous, more talented, or more intelligent — just more consistent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Grit comes down to your habits. It’s about doing the things you know you’re supposed to do on a more consistent basis. It’s about your dedication to daily practice and your ability to stick to a schedule.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); color: #232323;">Read more: <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2hhYml0cz9fX3M9YmVob3lyZjFpOWtvZGdiNXd4NmkifQ"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Examples of Grit</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Mentally tough athletes</b> are more consistent than others. They <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2hvdy10by1nZXQtbW90aXZhdGVkP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">don’t miss workouts</span></a>. They don’t miss assignments. They always have their teammates back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mentally tough leaders</b> are more consistent than their peers. They have a <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2FyZS15b3UtbGl2aW5nLWFuLXVyZ2VudC1saWZlLW9yLWFuLWltcG9ydGFudC1vbmU_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">clear goal</span></a> that they work towards each day. They don’t let short–term profits, negative feedback, or hectic schedules prevent them from continuing the march towards their vision. They make a habit of building up the people around them — not just once, but over and over and over again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mentally tough artists, writers, and employees</b> deliver on a more consistent basis than most. They work on a schedule, not just when they feel motivated. They approach their work like a pro, not an amateur. They <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3RpbWUtbWFuYWdlbWVudC10aXBzP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">do the most important thing first</span></a> and don’t shirk responsibilities.</span></div>
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3 Articles on How I Develop Grit</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2luLWxvdmUtd2l0aC1ib3JlZG9tP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">How to Fall in Love With Boredom and Unlock Your Mental Toughness</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3NlbGYtanVkZ21lbnQ_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255);">What I Do When it Feels Like My Work Isn't Good Enough</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2dpdmluZy11cD9fX3M9YmVob3lyZjFpOWtvZGdiNXd4NmkifQ"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255);">What I Do When I Feel Like Giving Up</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you'd like to see additional resources like the best books to read on grit and mental toughness as well as a complete list of the articles I have written on these topics, then check out the grit category page <a href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjEwMzA1ODA5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2dyaXQ_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;">here</span></a>. </span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-64685847397268744512017-03-05T21:58:00.002-05:002017-03-05T21:58:59.854-05:00Former Player Profile Mahershala Ali - Oscar Winner <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This week's blog has to do with a young actor that you may have seen in movies like The Place Beyond the Pines, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the Netflix series House of Cards. Mahershala Ali just recently won an academy award for his role in the movie Moonlight. The reason I decided to highlight him this week has to do with learning to deal with shifting directions in life. So many times I hear young basketball players tell me how much they would like to play in the NBA. Playing at that level is a very admirable goal but I speak from the heart when I say it isn't for everyone. I think it is made to look much more glamorous than it is in reality. I personally think there are many other worthwhile things to achieve depending on your individual goals. Having a goal to play professionally is amazing but so is following the path of your particular life by applying the same passion to those pursuits that call you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The article below was done written back on October 20, 2011 by the school where Mahershala Ali attended school at St. Mary's College in Moraga California. </span></div>
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(https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/mahershala-ali-96)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> This is the same school where Patty Mills from the San Antonio Spurs and Matthew Dellavedova from the Milwaukee Bucks attended and played basketball as well. Learning to listen to the path of your life and being brave enough to follow it is admirable in its own right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mahershala Ali ('96)</span></span></h1>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Name: Mahershala Ali.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />I was born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore, and I went by Mahershala Gilmore while at SMC. I changed my last name in 2000, and from 2001-2010 I was known professionally as Mahershalalhashbaz Ali. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the spirit of simplicity, I've presently settled on Mahershala Ali. I'd love for people to be able to say my name. Especially with the work I do. So, I'm ready to embrace this version of my name now. Easier for all!</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Major: Mass Communication<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Class of 1996.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Born in Oakland and raised in Hayward, Ca.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My fondest memory of the Communication Department would be the Oral Communication class, taught by the late Br. Ray Berta. You'd be hard pressed to find a student that didn't absolutely love him. He was a light, and passionate about his students. Brother Ray actually changed the trajectory of my life through his Oral communication course, which was truly just an acting class in disguise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My fondest memory in my time at SMC was doing <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Spunk</em> my senior year. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Spunk</em> is a George C. Wolfe play, which features a collection of Zora Neale Hurston writings. I felt a peace during that period of time that seemed to give my life a defining purpose. At 22 years old, I'd experienced some great highs and lows, and I think I really wanted to find an in . . . an opening, a beginning. I needed something that would help me understand myself better. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Spunk</em> as a process, as an experience, inspired me in a way that nothing had before.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This might sound strange, but I don't miss SMC. At all. I miss the professors. Victoria Trostle, <a href="http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/womens-and-gender-studies/faculty?fac=384&pg=home" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Denise Witzig</a>, <a href="http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/faculty-profile-brenda-hillman" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Brenda Hillman</a>, <a href="http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/meet-the-faculty/faculty?fac=108&pg=home" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Rebecca Engle</a>, <a href="http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/in-memoriam-brother-raymond-charles-berta-fsc" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Br. Ray Berta</a> – they all had a profound effect on me and my well being. In a sense, I didn't know where I was, or what I was doing there . . . <span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span>I was a scared kid just trying to hold it all together. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first semester of my junior year, I was basically failing Victoria Trostle's documentary film class. My father had died a few days before school started. I had mentally checked out. I didn't really care, and didn't feel like caring. She called me in her office a few weeks before finals, and first, talked to me about what was going on in my life. We came to an understanding in that meeting. My father's death was an absolute tragedy, yes. But it wasn't going to be an excuse to fail. And then she walked me through the necessary steps to pass her class. I can't say I miss that, but I appreciate it to this day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I went to SMC on a basketball scholarship. But when I graduated, I no longer thought of myself as an athlete. Honestly, I kind of resented basketball by the end of my time there. I'd seen guys on the team get chewed up, spat out and I was personally threatened with being shipped off to the University of Denver. All in the name of wins and productivity. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I experienced a very clear, palpable transformation while in college. I started writing and performing my poetry. I competed in poetry slams, and began to take my academics more seriously. I always took school seriously, but I think I did better in college because I started to understand how I learned, as well as the concept of "finishing" began to take root. I can't say I retained much of the information from my classes, but I understand how I learn, and I understand beginning, middle and end, which in turn leads to finishing. I can't think of two tools more powerful or useful in the "real world."</span></span></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"In a nutshell, I came to SMC wanting the fullest experience as a student athlete, and left wanting to experience life as an artist and well rounded person." </span></em></h6>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My road after college was somewhat interesting. First, I knew I was taking a year off, and second, I knew I had to go back to school. Rebecca Engle, who directed <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Spunk,</em> and was leading the theater program at SMC, had somehow managed to set up an audition for me with the <a href="http://www.calshakes.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">California Shakespeare Festival</a>, located in Orinda. Long story short, I made the cut as an apprentice, which meant I was grouped with other young actors, studying and pursuing the craft. It was an intense four months. The training was closer to my experience as an athlete than a student. At the end of the day you'd be exhausted, and then you'd have a show to do that night. I think I had an advantage in some ways. I'd done that for years as a student athlete.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most of my peers had been acting for quite some time. Socially, I was a bit out of my element. They knew all the cool avant garde films, plays, writers. I had only read Shakespeare in pieces – a few monologues, some sonnets, but not a play in its entirety. I actually auditioned for The California Shakespeare Festival with two poems I'd written. And suddenly I'm on the main stage, with professional actors, playing Montjoy in their production of Henry V. It was a great role for me at the time – enough for them to offer me a spot as a professional the following season. (Which never happened, because I was going back to school . . .)</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My Grandmother had always told me to have three options. As I had gotten closer to graduating from SMC, I noticed she would say that more often. Cal Shakes had sort of fallen into my lap. Up until that point, I was looking at doing one of three things, grad school for creative writing, law school, or perhaps . . . just maybe . . . a graduate program for this acting thing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cal Shakes was done at the end of that summer. It was 1996. I had a good, go-to, hookup job while at SMC. I could work on the ferryboats in San Francisco for almost $20 as hour, as a deckhand. But I decided against that, because I was worried I'd get comfortable, and get stuck. So, I took a job making minimum wage at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Report" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Gavin Report</em></a>, a record industry magazine targeted at music insiders. I recorded spins, meaning I tallied how much a given record was played on the radio in a week – the absolute definition of boredom. But I got a lot of free music and even met the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notorious_B.I.G." style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Notorious B.I.G.</a> the week he died. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Again, I played basketball on full scholarship while at Saint Mary's, so the extent of my bills were probably gas, and my trusty pager. I had done a few interviews before graduating that May, the traditional corporate entry-level positions, which are terrific if that speaks to you. That's part of the college experience, actually. Your family wants to see you grab that diploma on Saturday and walk into a great job on Monday. But that terrified me. I didn't feel suited for that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The day I had become serious about grad school was the day Victoria Trostle, a professor from the Communication Department, handed me a card. It basically said that I needed to go further. I needed to be around other students/ actors, acting teachers that would push me. And I needed to think about getting into one of the best programs in the country. I still have that card. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In February of ‘97, I auditioned for <a href="http://gradacting.tisch.nyu.edu/page/home.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">NYU</a>'s graduate acting program. The audition was at <a href="http://www.act-sf.org/site/PageServer" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">ACT</a> in San Francisco. Yale and NYU were the best graduate acting programs in the country at that time. Yale received my application a day late . . .<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span>and wrote me a letter saying they wouldn't be seeing me as a result of my tardiness. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I did two monologues that day, York, from Henry VI, and a piece I had written myself, a poem of sorts. I was asked to stay, and do the pieces again for the legendary <a href="http://gradacting.tisch.nyu.edu/object/FichandlerZ.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Zelda Finchandler</a>. I distinctly remember her looking at her watch while I was performing. Damn. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It had to have been an act of God, because I was invited to NYU in March for the Top 50.<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span>50 students, hoping to be one of the final 18. And I got in. It was three gut-wrenching, soul-searching, tortured years of self expression and exploration. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. I can confidently say that I would have never gotten there if it weren't for the guidance and love I received from the professors at Saint Mary's College. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Getting through the program was incredibly difficult. Three years, six days a week, and you're there a minimum of 12 hours a day (except Saturday – Saturday's usually a bit lighter). Voice, speech, yoga, Alexander technique, scene study, the list goes on. Oh yeah, and whatever play you're rehearsing at the time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I started to become more comfortable with myself, and own my individuality in a deeper way. New York forces you to do that. If you embrace it, it can really change your life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By the end of my second year, I was feeling pretty burnt out. I was seriously contemplating dropping out. It was so damn hard. It's not something I can really explain. That type of work takes a toll on you. Three of my classmates dropped out. Two in the first year. The expectations you put on yourself in that type of an environment can either make you or break you. I became so aware of my weaknesses, limitations, my vulnerability that it made me more conscious of my soul. And if I was going to take on the stories of other people, real or fictional, they needed to be infused with spirit as well. My search for a greater understanding of who I was, in connection to God, is probably what got me through that period. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I finished NYU in May of 2000. I was really fortunate to walk out with an agent, and two jobs in hand. I was the lead in an indie film called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360771/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Making Revolution</em></a>, and that followed with the lead role in a play called <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/theater/features/hope911.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Great White Hope</em></a>. A few months later, I booked a pilot and did the first season of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_Jordan" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Crossing Jordan</a>.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've been working professionally for 11 years. I've been in blockbuster films like <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">T<a href="http://www.benjaminbutton.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">he Curious Case of Benjamin Button</a></em> and <a href="http://www.predators-movie.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Predators</em></a>; I've done a number of TV shows, including <a href="http://www.usanetwork.com/series/the4400/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The 4400</em></a>, <a href="http://www.nbc.com/Crossing_Jordan/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Crossing Jordan</em></a>, and <a href="http://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Law and Order SVU</em></a>, and I'm looking forward to seeing recent projects come into fruition. This summer (2011) I did a film with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1817273/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Place Beyond The Pine</em>s</a>. I think it's going to be an amazing film. I'm really proud to be a part of it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm heading to Vancouver in a couple of days to do an episode of a new show called <a href="http://www.fox.com/programming/shows/?sh=alcatraz" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Alcatraz</em></a>. It's an amazing, complicated, troubled character, which is both the good and the challenging aspect about the gig itself. As much as I've trained and worked, auditioned and rehearsed, at the end of the day, I don't know what the heck I'm doing. So please, wish me luck. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My life is first and foremost about balance. I deal with trying to balance the water of spirituality with the vessel of religion. I find, that if I begin there, if I exist in that space, things fall into place in an organic manner. I'm healthier on that path. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And funny enough, now I'm a sports nut. Way more than in college. I don't care to play basketball anymore, but I love to watch it. If my TV is on, it's usually on ESPN. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And it brings me great joy seeing the success of the <a href="http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/athletics" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Gaels</a> under coach <a href="http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/coach-for-life" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #d80025; text-decoration: none;">Randy Bennett</a>. I met coach Bennett in the spring of 1991, in my junior year of high school. He was an assistant coach at the University of San Diego, and the first to offer me a scholarship. He was genuinely disappointed when I turned down USD for SMC. He was the hardest call to make upon coming to that decision. I loved that guy! I'm actually glad he wasn't at Saint Mary's when I was there, because I probably would have had a great experience as a player and never discovered acting. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's difficult to describe what kind of person I am, because I'm conscious of how much I've changed over the years. SMC gave me structure for the areas where I've struggled with discipline, and freedom where I've struggled with rigidity. And to this day, I have to tell myself that I'm a student. Things go better for me with that approach. When I remind myself that I know very little, I learn so much more. </span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The best advice I could give to any student would simply be to listen. Listen for your life signs. And respond accordingly. Intuition is a muscle, and it's developed in the manner of call and response. </span></span></div>
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Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-8932108274023603522017-02-19T23:00:00.003-05:002017-02-19T23:04:25.087-05:0023 Characteristics of Great Players <div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I am part of a distribution list called The Coaching Toolbox which gives amazing resources to coaches</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">and I came across this article. Apparently it was a part of Alan Stein’s Coaching Nuggets Collection. The author is Coach Lyndsey Fennelly of </span><a href="http://www.lyndseyfennelly.com/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">lyndseyfennelly.com</a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Lyndsey Fennelly is a former WNBA player and is now a coach that does a great job of developing players.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I love her material a lot so you will have to take a look at her list. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1- <b>Getting Better </b>– the #1 emphasis and purpose behind training. Each athlete’s goal every time you walk into a gym should be to pick up 1-2 new golden nuggets of improvement. Commit to this improvement by starting a basketball journal and writing the concepts you learn each day down on paper for maximum information retention. The way to create big separation in your game is by picking up as many ‘little things’ as you can.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2- <b>Energy </b>– there are 2 things people do when they walk into any room: they either take away energy with frowns, negative body language, and constant complaints or they give energy with genuine smiles, positive body language, and encouraging comments. An energetic gym is more fun to be so, as is living an energetic life. Create the energy in your own gyms, classrooms, and other environments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3- <b>Focus</b> – most people attribute the success of athletes to the physical game. This is key and important, but you cannot under-estimate the power of a strong and focused mind. Great players focus on what is taking place in every drill, every practice, every game, and every day. The mind is constantly asking oneself : What can I do in this moment to get better?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4- <b>Hustle</b> – great players have an uncommon hustle. You should know that your career window is limited, so make it a habit to maximize every second every time you are in the gym. Set the standard of hustle in your practices, not in games. Great players don’t have an ‘on-off switch’; they simply have it always turned ‘on’!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">5- <b>Attitude</b> – one of the few things in life we can control. You have only one today your entire life. Why not have a great attitude every single day? What’s special is having a terrific attitude every day under every circumstance. Show off your great attitude during the toughest of times – that’s impressive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">6- <b>Commitment</b> – the act of being pledged, loyal, and true to your dreams and visions. Create a goal for this season. Write it down somewhere that you can look at it daily. Remind yourself of the commitment you’ll need to make both on and off the court this year to have a successful season.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">7- <b>Passion</b> – do what you love and love what you do. You cannot fake passion. If you truly love the game of basketball, you should have a passion for your improvement and development. You should have passion every time you step into the gym with a willingness to learn and mentality of, ‘what can I do to get better?’</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">8- <b>Teamwork</b> – in a team sport like basketball, the we is always more important than the me. The better the team, the more noticed the player. Do all you can to foster great teamwork, knowing that will get you the attention most players desire? A program with great teamwork, constantly putting others before themselves, is easily envied by the weak.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">9- <b>Body Language</b> – 93% of what we say is non-verbal. You are constantly communicating even if your mouth isn’t moving. Communicate all the time that you’re paying attention, you’re engaged, you’re tough, and you’re eager to learn more. Great body language will make your coaches coach you more, will make your teachers teach you more, and will make an employer want to hire you one day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">10- <b>Hard Work</b> – “If everyone worked as hard as I did, I would be out of a job” is a quote by Steve Nash that is a great reminder that there is truly no substitute for hard work. Hard work is unquestionably one of the best</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">11- <b>Control</b> – control of body, control of eyes, control of thoughts, control of emotions, control of the game,control of the tempo, and most importantly, control the controllable. Rather than blame, make excuses, or point</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">fingers, focus on the things you can control : your effort, your attitude, your mind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">12- <b>Practice Makes Pe…Permanent</b> – practice does not make perfect, it instead makes permanent. Great players don’t go half speed at any time, knowing that the opportunity to become permanently great was just missed. Practice habits that will make your game permanently improve and allow you to compete at the highest level.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">13- <b>Sportsmanship</b> – the best players have a respect for the game, its rules, officials, and participants, including coaches, players, and fans. Be gracious in defeat and humble in wins without compromising the unrelenting desire to succeed, improve, and most importantly win.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">14- <b>Character</b> – you speak louder in action than you do with words with the decisions you make. Live this simple rule : “do the right thing”. If you don’t whether you know it’s right or wrong, it’s most likely the wrong decision. Treat others as you want to be treated, including your teammates. Be ‘bigger’ than negative people and show off your true self all the time, not just when things are going well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">15- <b>Pride</b> – a true champion has the pride of a lion: self-respect and personal worth. You have satisfaction with your achievements, and you allow your pride to fuel your burning passion to always improve. Those with pride</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">16- <b>Loyalty</b> – you are honest with your family, your coaches, your teammates, your friends, your teachers, but most importantly, yourself. You are loyal in words and actions with those you surround yourself with. Be loyal to these people in life by never violating their trust, turning your back on them, or speaking about them instead of to them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">17- <b>Appreciation</b> – life is TOO short to not appreciate each and every day you are given on this Earth. Two powerful words that we don’t use enough: “thank you” can be said more often than most do. Be verbally appreciative with sincere words and physically appreciative by never wasting an opportunity on court to improve.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">18- <b>Respect</b> – most importantly, respect yourself because it’s impossible to respect others if you can’t respect the most important person in your life, you. Treat others as you want to be treated: coaches, parents, teachers, friends, family, teammates, officials, and opponents. Respect the facilities you play in and the environments you are surrounded by.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">19- <b>Accountability</b> – you are the driver of your own life and of your own career. Do not fall prey to allow others to dictate your future. Take accountability and responsibility for your actions, your dedication, your work ethic,and ultimately, your decisions. Hold yourself to a higher standard of excellence than anyone else.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">20- <b>Finish</b> – the great Michael Jordan once said, “It’s not how hard you push along the way, it’s having something in you to finish”. The great players and people in life finish what they have started. Make it a habit to complete everything you do with the same energy and effort you start with.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">21- <b>Intensity</b> – an effort defined by expression of great zeal, energy, determination, and concentration. You ‘attack’ drills with speed, power, and a rage for improvement. Your end of game intensity is paralleled by your in</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">22- <b>Poise</b> – having a calmness under every situation and always being yourself. Pressure situations don’t faze you, but instead bring out your greatness. You are always communicating an “I got this” with your teammates and coaches. People turn to you knowing you have an un-faze-ability.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">23- <b>Excellence</b> – “the habit of excellence can become enjoyable addictive” (Dick DeVenzio, author of Stuff Good Players Should Know). We have trained all Fall Skills in creating habits of excellence on the court. Make </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">excellence your habit in everything you do. Be an excellent student. Be an excellent friend. Be an excellent daughter, son, sister, brother. Be an excellent athlete. Be an excellent human being.</span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-68164925388102528942017-02-12T19:01:00.004-05:002017-02-12T19:01:48.448-05:00Practice Habits and Self Evaluation <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Players of all sports often hear the saying “You practice how you play!” It is important to evaluate your personal practice habits and the environment you are contributing to as a player in order for your team to work at its highest level. Many players make the mistake of leaving it to their coaches to push them and make them better. If you are waiting for your coaches you may be waiting too long and missing out on some key development opportunities that can help to take your game and your team to the next level. Players that expect their coach to motivate and push them all of the time are like wheelbarrows. Expecting someone to pick you up and move you around can be very labour intensive for a coach because they have a lot of players to work with. If the majority of players are expecting that you tend to not go as far as teams with self-motivated players. It is much better to be self-sufficient and find your own way as an athlete. It’s similar to an animal being fed in a zoo versus an animal finding their own food in the wild. The zoo animal waits for things to come to them. The wild animal fends for itself and figures things out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> A coach is definitely someone that can assist you on a personal level but they are looking at the whole team it is hard for them to catch everything. They don’t know you as well as you know yourself so it is possible for a player or two to slip through the cracks. They may be also dealing with those players that have the biggest problems so it is a really good idea to learn how to motivate and fend for yourself. This will help you to find the best long term development. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The whole meaning behind the saying above is that the energy and atmosphere you bring to practice is the same energy you are bringing to the game when the game starts. Many players make the mistake of not bringing their best to practice and so when the game starts they are not ready. The thing about performance is that it isn’t a switch you can turn on and off with any degree of accuracy. Really great players only have one switch they are always on. If you take moments off at practice you are definitely going to do the same in games. Even when these elite players are on the bench they are still engaged in the game and ready to go. Get in the same mentality you do for practice as when you are in a game. Listen to music, get into the proper mentality and play at game speed. Your mentality should be to prove you are the best person in the gym and better than <b>YOU </b>were yesterday. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Without a question you will know yourself better than anyone will so hold yourself to a high standard. In high school I was on a very under-skilled team where I grew up. Over the summer I attended a basketball camp in Hawaii and my eyes were opened to a whole other level of playing. When I got back to my team’s practices I held myself to a higher standard and that became the level for my play. It didn’t matter what my teammates were doing I had my own goals in mind and it was like playing golf I was more interested in trying to play against myself. My goal was to make myself better as well as my teammates. I knew my teammates didn’t have the same goals as me but I worked with them to help our entire team be successful. I was the player setting the tone for my teammates and I worked with them to help us to be successful. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The energy level is critical if you are a leader on the team then it is up to you to get the best out of your teammates. If you don’t think practice has the right level of energy then work on shifting it. Leaders work on bringing others with them and one by one they start to change the energy level of those on the team. They might even take time over a water break to pull people in and encourage each other to give more. You might see something your coach doesn’t see so really work on being positive and encourage your teammates to give their best. Positivity is key and use your leadership to provide the guidance as well as encouragement. If you try to get what you need through being negative it isn’t as easy for people to buy in but sometimes it is needed to get the message across. Sometimes a teammate needs to hear the truth there is nothing more detrimental to the team than fake harmony. Be real, honest and authentic to each other in order to be able to perform your best. Most importantly show you care because it goes a long way. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Basketball is a team game so if your team is on the same page and locked in they will be successful or at least on the right path. If the players start buying in and coaching each other from the inside and the coach is doing their part it helps to develop a new level of teamwork. When everyone is working together towards the same ends the team moves much more effectively towards the goal. The more engaged the team is the more they move in the same direction. Think of the opposed where everyone on the team pulling in a different direction and going nowhere. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You might do the same drill over and over again throughout the course of a season or even during your career. The higher the level of play the more important it is to be locked into the details and doing things right every single time. This is what it takes to master skills and also hold other people accountable as well. This can be really powerful in terms of your development of standards over time. Work on figuring out the drill from a mastery perspective by understanding the details. Look to re-engage with the drill by thinking of one of the same details you want to do correctly every single time. Whether it is from the start of practice all the way through to the cool down really lock into executing the small things. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Practice Self-Evaluation </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1) Are you an energy giver or a taker on your team?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2) What is your preparation when you come to practice? How does that differ when you are getting ready for a game?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3) Do you encourage other people on your team to get involved when they are holding back?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4) Do you go at every drill in practice to make it game speed or to get better? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5) Do you practice your hustling skills?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6) Are you vocal in practice in a positive way (talking on defence, giving reminders, cheering when you aren’t involved in the drill)?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">7) Do you take it easy on your teammates because you are friends instead of pushing them to be better players? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">8) What can you do to make your team better in practice?</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">9) Is there anything you are holding back from your team that you want to identify? </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-11057288524851052032017-02-05T23:24:00.002-05:002017-02-05T23:27:58.517-05:00Playing BIG <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">At certain points when kids are growing there can be a very large discrepancy in size. It can be a tough thing to deal with especially for kids who are on the smaller end of the scale. I remember last year one of my players who was in grade 8 was literally half the size of one of the players on the grade 9 team we were scrimmaging against. When he stood beside the centre he only came up to his waist. There is a saying that is often used “It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play” or another one often used is "It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog." This can be of comfort to help players to cope with being small as they have to learn to work harder and engage in figuring out what skills to focus on that will set them apart. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you aren’t the biggest player figuring out what your skill set is can help you harness your game. Are you fast, are you a lock down defender, are you a great passer, are you focusing on shooting the ball, do you do the small intangible things that help your team be successful, are your courageous, are you a good teammate? Most importantly do you play BIG? None of those things have anything to do with size. Sometimes getting exposed can be the best thing to happen to you. Although it can be painful and very raw to know that truth. If you learn to evolve it can be a blessing. This knowledge can help you to change your game as you continue to find your niche. Everyone has limitations to their individual game, after all no one is perfect, but it is those that focus their skills that will find a way to improve. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take Wayne Gretzky for example, on many of the teams he played on he was a couple of years younger than many of his teammates. In one of his books I read he credited that experience with helping him build his incredible vision on the ice because he had to know where all of the big players were at all times due to fear. Take away that experience and he wouldn’t be the same player he ended up being during his career. In your journey in sports as well as in life there are always things to overcome and figure out. Just giving up or getting discouraged doesn’t help you to grow. Quitting or holding back limits your ability to think of a solution or find a way to evolve yourself. Some of your biggest strengths will come from your toughest challenges. Keeping with something even when its hard and using your brain to get better is a great way to overcome obstacles. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">What does it mean to play BIG?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well playing BIG is for everyone not just for players who are physically big. Playing BIG means doing the little things that help your team to be successful. When I think of playing BIG I often think of a player coming down on a fast break ready to do a layup and they have a defender coming from behind to block their shot. Instead of taking the layup right away the player does a pump fake under the basket. As their opponent misses the ball and flies right past them the offensive players finishes their layup. To me this is the epitome of playing BIG. It doesn’t matter if the player is big, small or somewhere in between they used their mind to conquer the situation and it stands out because they made the right read. Here are a couple of other examples of playing BIG: </span></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Setting great screens </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Making the extra pass to get your team an open shot </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Diving on the floor for a loose ball </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Taking a charge </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Learning to make good decisions especially around shot selection </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Hustling</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Developing the mentality to fight back</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Sure big players have an advantage and there are many times when a coach is going to give preference to a player that is big and has potential to get better over a smaller guard. However, being a big guy isn’t always the best scenario when players are younger. In fact, sometimes they grow so fast that they don’t know where their limbs start and end so they can be very uncoordinated. I have seen a player that went through a growth spurt try to catch a ball that went through his hands and hit him right in the face. There are also the growing pains and injuries that can come from growing too fast. Keep in mind that when you are the biggest guy on the court you are also often tasked with guarding the biggest player from the other team which isn’t always glamorous if you aren’t as big, strong or skilled. There are many different types of big and so sometimes you might be a skinny guy that has to guard someone that is very strong and powerful which can be very challenging. Sometimes coaches pigeon hole big players and don't allow them to do what they want to in terms of being outside the paint or shooting the ball (yes that still happens). Also, the rest of your life you have to deal with people asking you how tall you are or make comments about it on a continual basis. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In closing, you can’t control how fast or how much you grow. You also can’t control when either because some people hit their growth spurt early while others may be incredibly late. What you can control is how you react to it and the way you are going to choose to help yourself to find ways to get better. You can set yourself up to grow by eating healthy, getting enough sleep and getting enough exercise. You can also perfect your skills and learn to do the fundamentals to set yourself up for success. Striving for personal greatness isn’t easy. Whether you end up growing a little or a lot is outside of your control but using the experience to be the best version of yourself is always a great way to manage the obstacle. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-67862802519351003202017-01-29T19:15:00.000-05:002017-01-29T19:52:40.923-05:00Lil Beast Program & James Clear Article The Myth and Magic of Deliberate Practice<h1 style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lil Beast is Growing </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Since November of last year I have been working with a group of elementary kids on Monday nights to teach them basketball. It is a beginners group and we are starting to grow. I have added a second session for smaller kids (Grade 1 to 3) so if you know of anyone in Richmond Hill that wants to learn basketball can you please let them know about this program? Here are some of the details if you require further information on the price and a registration form my details are below. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Date Range: Monday Nights </span><span style="font-size: small;">(Starting Feb. 6th until April 10)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Location: Our Lady of Annunciation </span><span style="font-size: small;">(30 Bayswater Avenue, Richmond Hill) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Grade 1 - 3</u></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> 6:00 to 7:30pm </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Grade 4 - 6</u></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> 7:30 to 9:00pm </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Marla Gladstone </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">marladgladstone@gmail.com</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">416 648 8488</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is an article written by James Clear. I couldn't have said it any better so I decided to just sent this out. Happy reading! </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;"></span></span><br />
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The Myth and Magic of Deliberate Practice</h1>
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2RlbGliZXJhdGUtcHJhY3RpY2UtbXl0aD9fX3M9YmVob3lyZjFpOWtvZGdiNXd4NmkifQ&source=gmail&ust=1485813650106000&usg=AFQjCNFOhlMz1-pUfLxnnEdXmvGIjYlaxA" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2RlbGliZXJhdGUtcHJhY3RpY2UtbXl0aD9fX3M9YmVob3lyZjFpOWtvZGdiNXd4NmkifQ" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px;" target="_blank">Read this on JamesClear.com</a><br />
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Joe DiMaggio was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. A three-time winner of the Most Valuable Player award, DiMaggio was selected to the Major League All-Star team in each of his thirteen seasons. He is best known for his remarkable hitting streak during the 1941 season when he recorded a hit in fifty-six consecutive games—a record that still stands more than seventy-<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_3189004" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">five years later</span></span>.</div>
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I recently heard a little-known story about how DiMaggio acquired his exceptional ability.<br />
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<img alt="Image" class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhbamkt4zVnAQ_k20H__3Kn39fr7SioUO-svUaleSLjVHwHA2pBxEIPqm9CDHC_mspOgWC6uHB7ccjL4a6cL_2qNKkNilFIV7UxDP5F1jOyOWtERz1DZayUjq_p6k-7DWdJ2ZFNDi9Kz47VphFn9Fttw8od_qrTEoXLB0d-00zw9JJVToof2OFkuvAQxiT-zNuiOT_RfWeBSUFaoKRHIs2GM6pe7brR0ce4KZVCmXce24sQAHxw=s0-d-e1-ft" style="cursor: pointer; outline: none;" tabindex="0" /><br />
<em>Joe DiMaggio in 1939. Published by Bowman Gum for Play Ball Cards.</em></div>
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As the story goes, a journalist was interviewing DiMaggio at his home and asked him what it felt like to be such a “natural hitter.” Without saying a word, he dragged the reporter downstairs. In the shadows of the basement, DiMaggio picked up a bat and began to repeat a series of practice swings. Before each swing, he would call out a particular pitch such as “fastball, low and away” or “slider, inside” and adjust his approach accordingly.</div>
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Once he finished the routine, DiMaggio set the bat down, picked up a piece of chalk, and scratched a tally mark on the wall. Then he flicked on the lights to reveal thousands of tally marks covering the basement walls. Supposedly, DiMaggio then looked at the journalist and said, “Don’t you ever tell me that I’m a natural hitter again.” [1]<br />
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We love stories like this—stories that highlight how remarkable success is the product of effort and perseverance. In recent years, the study of hard work has developed into a scientific pursuit. Experts have begun to refer to focused and effortful training as “deliberate practice” and it is widely considered to be the recipe for success.</div>
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There is no doubt that deliberate practice <em>can</em> be the recipe for success, but only under certain conditions. If we are serious about maximizing our potential, then we need to know when deliberate practice makes the difference between success and failure and when it doesn’t. Before we can capture the power of deliberate practice, we need to understand its limitations.</div>
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The Vision of Greatness</h3>
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In the early 1990s, a man named Louis Rosenbaum began analyzing the eyesight of Major League baseball players. He soon found out that professional baseball players were nothing like the normal person when it came to vision.</div>
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According to Rosenbaum’s research, the average eyesight of a Major League position player is 20/11. In other words, the typical professional baseball player can read letters from twenty feet away that a normal person can only read from eleven feet away. Ted Williams, who is widely regarded as the greatest hitter in the baseball history, reportedly had 20/10 vision when he was tested by the military during WWII. The anatomical limit for human vision is 20/8.</div>
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Most of Rosenbaum’s research was conducted on the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. According to him, “Half of the guys on the Dodgers’ Major League roster were 20/10 uncorrected.” [2]<br />
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<img alt="Image" class="CToWUd a6T" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhXWdhksHt7M6jmMyqsgvowf9psDpUYmybTifAwZHuvjzE76d_ct7SWvfHCX57k3Ekina011oWos55JzpIk8jvjQCMV04Ldn4ddNOwYTt20FIDfT0Z9sVgqhnmg3BHpWI2Z5Xd1RoFlwh06kcYP_i5idSj37vqT7P0qZ2g6ViJ15JlOl1eHJXuirwpgYYdpLzwMwev_g5OTL8fPCcvHYHrMORpv9CCZerZaZMye-jmYiLK6N83A=s0-d-e1-ft" style="cursor: pointer; outline: none;" tabindex="0" /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em>Eyesight and visual acuity results of professional baseball players from 1993 to 1995. The data above includes both minor league and major league players. (Source: American Journal of Ophthalmology. November 1996.)</em><br />
<br />
In his excellent book, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9&source=gmail&ust=1485813650106000&usg=AFQjCNFl6P-A81JYjcZKF7UmDXlovvJklw" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" title="The Sports Gene">The Sports Gene</a>, author David Epstein explains that this visual trend holds true at each level of the sport. On average, Major League players have better vision than minor league players who have better vision than college players who have better vision than the general population. [3]</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
If you want to play professional baseball, it helps to practice like DiMaggio, but you also need eyesight like an eagle. In highly competitive fields, deliberate practice is often necessary, but not sufficient for success.</div>
<h3 style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 40px 0px 12px; padding: 0px;">
The Deliberate Practice Myth</h3>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
The myth of deliberate practice is that you can fashion yourself into anything with enough work and effort. While human beings do possess a remarkable ability to develop their skills, there are limits to how far any individual can go. Your genes set a boundary around what is possible.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
In recent decades, behavioral geneticists have discovered that our genes impact nearly every human trait. We are not merely talking about physical characteristics like height and eyesight, but mental abilities as well. Your genes impact everything from your short-term memory abilities to your mental processing speed to your willingness to practice.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
One of my favorite examples is tennis great Steffi Graf. When she was tested against other elite tennis players as a teenager, she not only scored the highest on physical attributes like lung capacity and motor skills, but also on competitive desire. She was that once-in-a-generation talent who was both the most-gifted and the most-driven person on the court. [4]</div>
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During a conversation I had with Robert Plomin, one of the top behavioral geneticists in the world, he said, “It is now at the point where we have stopped testing to see if traits have a genetic component because we literally can’t find a single one that isn’t influenced by our genes.”<br />
<br />
How big is the influence of genes on performance? It’s hard to say. Some researchers have estimated that our genes account for between 25 percent to 35 percent of our differences in performance. Obviously, that number can vary wildly depending on the field you’re studying.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
So where does this leave us?</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Well, while genetics influence performance, they do not <em>determine</em> performance. Do not confuse destiny with opportunity. Genes provide opportunity. They do not determine our destiny. It’s similar to a game of cards. You have a better opportunity if you are dealt a better hand, but you also need to play the hand well to win.</div>
<h3 style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 40px 0px 12px; padding: 0px;">
Layer Your Skills</h3>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
How do we play our hand well? How do we maximize our genetic potential in life—whatever that might be? One strategy is to “layer your skills” on top of one another.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, explains the strategy perfectly. He writes, “Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.” [5]</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
If you can’t win by being better, then win by being different. By combining your skills, you reduce the level of competition, which makes it much easier to stand out regardless of your natural abilities.</div>
<h3 style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 40px 0px 12px; padding: 0px;">
The Magic of Deliberate Practice</h3>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3N1bi10enUtaGFiaXRzP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9&source=gmail&ust=1485813650107000&usg=AFQjCNFY9l-M34DCe1ZyJZdW7E3If6w7lQ" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3N1bi10enUtaGFiaXRzP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" title="Sun Tzu">Sun Tzu</a>, the legendary military strategist who wrote <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLWFydC1vZi13YXI_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0&source=gmail&ust=1485813650107000&usg=AFQjCNF_zW1majqo3wQ6V0s2hZOnyD2YEQ" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLWFydC1vZi13YXI_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" title="The Art of War">The Art of War</a>, believed in only fighting battles where the odds were in his favor. He wrote, “In war, the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won.”</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Similarly, we should seek to fight battles where the genetic odds are in our favor. It is impossible to try everything in life. Each of us could become any one of a billion different things. Thus, if you aspire to maximize your success, then you should train hard and practice deliberately in areas where the genetic odds are in your favor (or where you can overlap your skills in a compelling way).</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Deliberate practice is necessary for success, but it is not sufficient. The people at the top of any competitive field are both well-suited and well-trained. To maximize your potential, you need to not only engage in consistent and purposeful practice, but also to align your ambitions with your natural abilities.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Regardless of where we choose to apply ourselves, deliberate practice can help us maximize our potential—no matter what cards we were dealt. That is the magic of deliberate practice. It turns potential into reality.<br />
<br />
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<em style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px;">FOOTNOTES</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 18px;"></span><br />
<ol style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px;">
<li id="m_-8645077977094599252footnote-1-22586" style="margin-left: 15px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em>I first heard this story from Darin Van Tassell at Georgia Southern University, who either coached with Joe DiMaggio or knew someone who did. I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the story beyond that.</em></div>
</li>
<li id="m_-8645077977094599252footnote-2-22586" style="margin-left: 15px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9&source=gmail&ust=1485813650107000&usg=AFQjCNEEmkGI8wOoCRXff0LzGVloJ-TX0A" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" title="The Sports Gene">The Sports Gene</a> by David Epstein. Page 40.</em></div>
</li>
<li id="m_-8645077977094599252footnote-3-22586" style="margin-left: 15px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em>During my research I discovered a variety of organizations that test professional athletes. A physician named Bill Harrison runs one of them. Harrison began testing athletes in the 1970s and claims that out of the thousands of baseball players he tested, Barry Bonds scored higher on visual tests than anyone else. Interestingly, these tests were conducted back in 1986, long before Bonds became the all-time leader in home runs and suffered his notorious scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs.</em></div>
</li>
<li id="m_-8645077977094599252footnote-4-22586" style="margin-left: 15px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9&source=gmail&ust=1485813650107000&usg=AFQjCNEEmkGI8wOoCRXff0LzGVloJ-TX0A" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL2Jvb2svdGhlLXNwb3J0cy1nZW5lP19fcz1iZWhveXJmMWk5a29kZ2I1d3g2aSJ9" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" title="The Sports Gene">The Sports Gene</a> by David Epstein. Page 46.</em></div>
</li>
<li id="m_-8645077977094599252footnote-5-22586" style="margin-left: 15px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<em><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2RpbGJlcnRibG9nLnR5cGVwYWQuY29tL3RoZV9kaWxiZXJ0X2Jsb2cvMjAwNy8wNy9jYXJlZXItYWR2aWNlLmh0bWw_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0&source=gmail&ust=1485813650107000&usg=AFQjCNGayusytGQt_BcE1oS4ESk-UNpfKw" href="http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNTEzMTA2Njc5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2RpbGJlcnRibG9nLnR5cGVwYWQuY29tL3RoZV9kaWxiZXJ0X2Jsb2cvMjAwNy8wNy9jYXJlZXItYWR2aWNlLmh0bWw_X19zPWJlaG95cmYxaTlrb2RnYjV3eDZpIn0" style="color: blue;" target="_blank" title="Career Advice">Career Advice</a> by Scott Adams.</em></div>
</li>
</ol>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-49195833069310904872017-01-22T22:59:00.002-05:002017-01-22T22:59:29.243-05:00Bouncing Back from a Poor Performance <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">There are times when an athlete can be in the process of having a terrible performance.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">How you respond to the failure is incredibly important.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Keeping in mind that it is often the losses we learn more from than the wins.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The wins are feel great and we leave the competition feeling like something was accomplished.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The mistakes that were made during those games are usually glossed over but when a loss happens, especially a really bad performance, it can be daunting to deal with.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It can strike a chord and you have to find a way to get through it. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are some tactics on how to bounce back from a tough loss or a terrible performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the Game:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Get Other People Involved - If you are having a poor offensive performance or feel a bit out of rhythm sometimes it is a matter of looking to create for other people. Try to draw two defensive players to get someone else open. Set a really great screen or make a hustle play. You could also make an extra pass to see if someone else can get open for a better shot. If your shot isn’t falling from outside try to get something going closer to the basket or the foul line. Doing for others can get you out of the state you might be in. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take Pride on Defence - If the offensive side of your game isn’t working at all a good strategy is to try to get going on defence first. Coaches often say “good defence creates easy offence”. When your defence is tough it can lead to getting steals or playing in good position can force your opponent to make poor decisions leading to turnovers. When poor decisions are made it can result in easier shots like layups or advantage situations for you and your team. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stay Engaged on the Bench - This is perhaps the toughest part is when you are on the bench it is easy to start thinking about the mistakes and get into your own head. The danger in doing this is that now you aren’t in the moment. You can psych yourself out or won’t be ready if you are asked to go back in the game again. Staying ready is done best when you mentally stay prepared by cheering on your teammates and getting into the game even when you aren't on the court. Making it more about them and less about you can be incredibly powerful as it takes the pressure off of you and helps your shoulder the load with the team. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Use your Mental Locker - A mental locker is where you can put issues you are dealing with so when you step on the court those things aren’t top of mind instead they are put away. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This way you have the capacity to deal with them better at a later time.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This practice helps to play in the moment and allows you to be present.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your thoughts will be there when you are finished with the game.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So when something happens in the game don’t take the time to think about it in that moment instead promise yourself you will go through it later. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remember the Positive Things Too - When things go really bad it is easy to recall all of the horrible things that you or the team did. It is still important to keep perspective and see the positives and remember that not everything is lost. The hardest things to overcome are the things that hurt the most. Getting to a point where you see the weaknesses and work on rectifying them is a really powerful position. Take time to recall one or two things that you did in the game that were positive to help keep that perspective. When you see that one of your teammates had a tough game give them some words of encouragement and let them know you are there for them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take Time to Clear out your Mental Locker - While in the heat of the moment and a mistake is made or something comes up in your mind it is probably a bad idea to start trying to analyze it it then. Putting it in your mental locker can give you more time to either analyze it later or completely shelf it for good. There are many times when you see a player during the game make a mistake and immediately their expression changes. This is when you know they are no longer in the moment and they sometimes make another mistake just like the first one. Just working on being in the moment can help to erase compounding mistakes. Putting the first mistake in the Mental Locker allows you to either have a short memory and forget about it or think it through further at another time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Choose a Couple of Lessons - It can be tempting to think everything went wrong. Sometimes identifying one or two issues that can be remedied can help with the process of getting back into the right mentality. Attacking those issues and not hiding from them can be incredibly helpful in getting to the right state of mind again. Adversity is something that all great players and teams go through. The way you choose to respond to it is the most important thing. Do you allow it to rip you apart or do you use it to bond you together? The way you choose to respond is really the difference maker! Trying to fix everything is a mistake because other things can come into alignment naturally once you are on the right track again. Choosing just a couple of lessons can really help to focus instead of getting bogged down in too many negative feelings. Finding the lesson can really make the loss worthwhile because it is the tough situations that seem to carry the best solutions. Remember poor performances aren't the end of the world. As John Wooden once said "Failure is not fatal but failure to change might be." </span></span></div>
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Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-47650272722587896422017-01-15T19:25:00.000-05:002017-01-15T19:38:47.797-05:00Nutrition Strategies for Athletes <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">Mark Verstegen is a world renowned performance coach and has worked with many elite athletes in his career.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">In his book Core Performance Essentials he goes through some very important rules around eating as an athlete.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">It is no secret idea that athletes need to fuel differently than people who don’t use their bodies for high level performance. Just like using diesel fuel in a sports car would ruin the engine in a similar way eating poorly puts the athlete at a disadvantage. Lack of nutritional content and the wrong type of fuel can cause damage. Athletes can optimize performance by learning to fuel themselves in a more effective way. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">If an athlete eats poorly their engine won’t necessarily seize and be destroyed so many athletes use the idea of just powering through their poor food choices by thinking they can conquer it mentaly. Yes that can be done however, consider energy is being utilized for that as well so it seems a bit of a waste. I also think people believe they are much more proficient at powering through than they actually are. If all of your energy is put into alignment that focus can be put on greatness. Fuel is a huge part of being an athlete and by managing these types of things you can really help to optimize your level of greatness. Treating food as fuel instead of a friend is a way to separate hunger from loneliness or eating something just because it tastes good. Unleashing the power of food can really be a huge difference maker when it comes to performance. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">More important than fuelling properly is fuelling properly for you! What this mean is paying attention to what works best for your system. Things to consider are meal times, processing time of the meal after consumption and then also figuring out foods to avoid that don’t feel right. Doing this can really help to put you in the optimal state of performance. For example years ago I gave up milk because I was noticing it was having a negative impact on my skin but also I noticed that when I drank it my stomach didn’t feel good. I started to use unsweetened almond milk instead and my body processed it much better. No one would know that except me. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Also, when I work out too hard I have to wait about 20 minutes in order to be able to eat otherwise I feel nauseous. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some strategies as recommended by Mark Verstegen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Strategy #1 - Eat Often </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Socially we are taught to eat three square meals a day. We are to avoid between-meal snacks as well not eating after dinner. The problem with that is that we eat larger amounts and can sometimes feel bloated from that level of consumption all at once. A way to look at eating frequently is like constantly throwing wood on the fire to keep the flame consistent over a period of time. Each time you eat your digestion is cranked up and metabolism burns the calories. Big meals means the flame is smouldering and dying whereas a hot fire is keeps burning consistently. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you don’t eat consistently then the most readily available thing for the body to burn is muscle which is obviously counter productive. Most people might think it would be their fat that would be burned but the human body is very resistant to burning fat for self preservation purposes. Eating the right food in the proper portions at the correct times more frequently helps to encourage the fat reserves to be tapped into. This is why eating pre-workout and post-workout is incredibly important to ensure your body is ready to go and then recovering well after exercising. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Strategy #2 - Eating Schedules </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">People have different schedules and times they chose to workout. Spreading out 5 to 7 meals a day can be challenging and certainly doesn’t happen by accident. Especially because you want to ensure that you are right sizing your meals and not “supersizing” in terms of just eating large amounts many times a day. This means that proper planning is critical to being able to execute this strategy and have the food ready for consumption. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some scheduling options for eating throughout the day</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sample Schedule #1 Morning Work-Out </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Work-Out (6:30am to 7:30am)</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">7:30am - Meal #1 Breakfast </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">10:30am - Meal #2 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">1:30pm - Meal #3 Lunch </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">4:00pm to 4:30pm - Meal #4 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">7:00pm to 7:30pm - Meal #5 Dinner </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">10:00pm to 10:30pm - Meal #6 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sample Scheduler #2 Lunch Work-Out </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">7:00am - Meal #1 Breakfast </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">10:00am - Meal #2 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">11:30am - Pre-workout Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Work-Out (12:00pm to 1:00pm) </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">1:00pm - Meal #3 Lunch </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">4:00pm - Meal #4 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">7:00pm - Meal #5 Dinner </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">10:00pm - Meal #6 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sample Schedule #3 - Early Evening Work-out </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">7:00am - Meal #1 Breakfast </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">10:00am - Meal #2 Snack </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">6:00pm - Meal #5 Light Dinner </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">9:00pm to 9:30pm - Meal #6 Snack </span></span></div>
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Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-35039859923656305042017-01-08T20:46:00.002-05:002017-01-08T20:46:44.499-05:00A Year in Review <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Year in Review </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I am not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions as I find they are very limiting and set many people up for failure. For me it is limiting and I feel a bit boxed in because I like to learn, grow, change and evolve on my own timeline (not just the calendar's timeline). Resolution often bring with them high hopes to accomplish but the lack the substance and the self interest to really make a solid impact long term. Often people start out with good intentions that fall flat and ending up leaving weak and unsuccessful feelings. I think it is important to be free to set meaningful goals at any time of the year. The item often forgotten that allows goals to be achieved is the habits that are formed around </span>carrying <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">them out. </span>Afterall, those<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> who form habits that support their goals are far more likely to achieve them. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Public speaker and student of successful people from all walks of life, James Clear (<a href="http://www.jamesclear.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.jamesclear.com</span></a>), wrote about his process in a blog where he outlines that every year he likes to answer three questions for himself:</span></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">What went well this year? </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">What didn’t go well this year?</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">What am I working towards? </span></span></li>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">He shares his insights with people as a way to show that the process of being successful takes time. He also posts the information on his website to show what he has uncovered in past years as well. I always find his insights quite interesting. It is comforting to see a successful person like him having so much trouble following through with important things as well. It helps me to see that my expectations of myself aren't as solitary as they sometimes seem. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mano Watsa who is the Founder and President of PGC, Point Guard College, once shared his process which is quite elaborate but incredibly inspiring. There are 2 parts to his in that he looks at the year in review and then he looks at the year ahead. He also includes an area to help jumpstart his way into the New Year. This is what his outline looks like: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Year in Review </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">1- Accomplishments </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">2 - Highlights </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">3 - Top Books I read and Top Movies/Documentaries I watched </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">4 - Special People I connected with </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">5 - Ways I Blessed Others </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">6 - Learnings </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">7 - Desired Outcomes Achieved </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Year Ahead </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">1 - Systems & Habits to Develop </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">2 - Goals </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">3 - People to Spend Tie With </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">4 - Areas I want to Grow </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next Steps </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">1 to 5 small things to get you moving in the right direction </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know that both these ways can be quite elaborate in terms of taking the time to write it down, review and plan. If you really want to have a big impact sometimes these can be used as road maps to help get you there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I recently came across a Matthew McConaughey video that really seemed to make this concept a bit more simple. It was in 2014 when he was accepting a best actor award for Dallas Buyers Club he mentioned that in his life he finds he needs 3 things:</span></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Something to look forward to </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Something to chase </span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;">(In case you want to watch</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think when we go into a New Year a lot of the focus is often on losing weight, making more money or things of that nature. After getting through this time of year I am often reminded that the true emphasis on living isn’t about material things at all. It is about making lasting and meaningful impacts on people, creating amazing memories and reflecting back on them. These tools help to really keep me from not being stagnant and to keep striving in my own ways. I hope this helps you to find a way to strive in your own way as well. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-41411182382648109712017-01-02T00:11:00.002-05:002017-01-02T00:11:33.703-05:00The Rule of One - A Change the Game Project Article<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>This article is from the website Change the Game Project. I was very touched by it so I thought I would share it with all of you this week. Happy New Year! I hope this concept puts you in the right mindset to start off 2017! Here is the link as a reference in case you want to check out any of their other articles. http://changingthegameproject.com/the-rule-of-one/</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The Rule of One </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a junior in high school, and sat three rows back, middle row of my English literature class at St Anthony’s High School in New York. Brother Jeff, a Franciscan brother who was a pleasant combination strict and jovial, was my teacher. He was handing back some essays we had written. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I eagerly awaited mine, as I could write a pretty good paper with minimal effort. When Brother Jeff handed my back my paper, I thought it was a mistake. There was a big, red “F” on the top. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Brother Jeff, there is no way this paper was an ‘F,’” I protested. “I know it’s better than that.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He put his hands on my desk and looked me in the eye. “I didn’t give you an ‘F’ based upon what everyone else can do. I gave you an ‘F” based on what you are capable of doing, and your paper is garbage (actually his language was a bit more colorful.)”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“No way,” I continued. “That paper is fine.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“No John, it’s not. It’s far from your best effort, and quite frankly it offends me that you have the nerve to turn that in. You are a damn good writer, and you should be ashamed to turn something like that in. In fact, I don’t want you in my class anymore until you decide to use the gift you have been given and put a little more effort into your work.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">With that Brother Jeff grabbed my books off the desk, walked over to the window, and tossed them three stories to the ground below. “Now get out,” he said as he pointed to the door, “and don’t hand in junk like that ever again.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As I walked out with a huff, I was embarrassed. I was angry. I was beside myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And I have also dedicated both my books, my masters thesis, and will dedicate any forthcoming books I write to Brother Jeffrey Michael Pederson. Why? Because that day, in 11th grade english class, he changed my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He made me believe that I was a good writer when I put forth the proper effort. He made me see something in myself that I had never seen before, and may not have seen on my own. Every one of the hundreds of thousands of words I have published since I started this blog and wrote my first book in 2012 I can trace back to Brother Jeff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That is “The Rule of One.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>One person. One comment. One time</b>. It can change a life forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The Rule of One” is the phrase my great friend Dr Jerry Lynch calls such powerful, life changing teaching in his books <a href="http://amzn.to/2ggdBRA"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">Coaching with Heart</span></a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/2fm3gEW"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">The Way of the Champion</span></a> (both mandatory reading for coaches if you ask me). Jerry and I recently conducted an all day workshop for USA Swimming together, and we discussed the rule as it pertains to leadership and building the right type of environment for athletes to succeed. Jerry shared a very similar story to mine about a college professor who convinced him to be a writer. He has now written twelve books that have been published in over 20 languages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“He made me believe I could write,” said Jerry, as he turned to the crowd. “That is the power of ‘The Rule of One.’” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Whenever we ask any group of coaches “can you point to a ‘Rule of One’ moment in your life?” everyone raises their hand. Every single person. Perhaps it was not a coach, but it may have been a teacher, an uncle, or an older athlete who believed in them. Everyone is affected by “The Rule of One.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When amateur golfer Buddy Marucci qualified for his first Masters, he was paired with golf legend Arnold Palmer. Marucci was incredibly nervous, until Palmer walked up to him on the first tee and said “Today is going to be one of the most memorable days of your life. If there is anything I can do to make it better, please let me know.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Mia Hamm wanted to be the best soccer player in the world, and worked relentlessly to achieve that. Her coach at the University of North Carolina, Anson Dorrance, once observed her training alone at 6am on his way to work, and sent her the following note: “The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">These are examples of “The Rule of One,” a comment that can stick with a person for the rest of his or her life. Everyday is an opportunity to empower and inspire an athlete. Our words can be affirming and life changing, or demeaning and depressing. We don’t get to pick and choose which ones stick, and which ones our kids forget, so we better be careful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today, I want to call upon all the adults who are involved in youth sports to remember that the Rule of One applies to you. Think about a coach or teacher whose words or actions changed your life. Maybe even send them a note of thanks. But more importantly, make a commitment to make that type of difference for another. Whether you are a coach, an administrator, or a parent, every time you step on the field is an opportunity to find that one person, and make that one, life changing comment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Here are a few tips on how to make sure the Rule of One can positively affect your athletes:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Be Aware. </b>Your influence is never neutral, and we must be aware of the impact of our words and actions. Don’t ever think that you do not make in impact, especially once you are in a position of authority such as a coach or parent. There are certain times that are highly emotional (end of games, after a mistake, after a great play) where your words can be a bit <i>stickier</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Timing is everything! Catching an athlete doing something great after overcoming adversity, or a word of encouragement after a disappointing outcome can be very powerful. Similarly, the opposite can be true. A harsh word after a major disappointment rarely helps, nor does strong criticism right after a player just did something very well. <b>People tend to remember the things they learn right after they have a strong emotional response to an event, so understand that there are certain times to teach, certain times to inspire, and certain times to leave it unsaid for now.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Be Intentional:</b> Whenever I substitute a player, I am at midfield to shake every athlete’s hand as he or she steps off, regardless of how they played. If they are doing well, it’s a smile, a high five and a “well done.” If they are struggling or upset, it’s a smile, a high five, and a “keep your head up, get a drink, I have an idea that might help and I will be right over.” <b>This takes a bit more effort than many coaches care to exert, but the difference it can make in the life of your athlete can be huge.</b> Everyone gets acknowledged. Everyone gets a reminder to focus on the process. Every time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Be Transformational: </b>Coach the person, not the sport. Some kids need a hug, and some need a metaphorical kick in the rear. Some need a quiet word, and others will respond to a shout across the field or court. It is up to you to realize what every individual needs, and do your best to deliver it to him. If you shout at the athlete who responds best to the quiet word on the side, you will not inspire. If you fail to show caring and love to the the athlete who never gets them at home, you will not connect. Your delivery must match the needs of the recipient.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>A transformational coach values the things that are hard to measure</b>. It’s easy to recognize athletes when you count points, goals, saves, and rebounds, but that is insufficient. Athletes need you to validate the things that are much harder to measure, but mean far more. Was she fearless? Was he a hustler? Did she bring positive energy? Did he improve in the area you worked so hard on in practice? <b>A life changing “Rule of One” comment will rarely be about something easily measured such as “nice goal out there.” But when you say to an athlete “I’m so proud of you, look at what you have become when you play with such energy and courage” you can change a life.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Next time you step on the field, remember that “The Rule of One” applies to you. Whether you are an adult working with a child or an upperclassman/team captain speaking to a teammate who looks up to you, you wield tremendous power.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>One time.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It can change everything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now go make a difference.</span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-83743815811621155992016-12-26T01:16:00.004-05:002016-12-26T01:26:22.303-05:00Spirit of Giving <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In the spirit of the season I decided to write this blog on giving. Being a giving teammate is critical to having any amount of success on a team. There are only a few ways to be on a team either you are giving energy or you are taking energy. There is nothing in between if you are neutral you are taking because there is so much more you could be contributing. Honestly, just staying still and holding back is clearly taking. Teams that give energy to each other are the ones that go the farthest because it doesn’t matter which players are on the court the energy is flowing in the same positive direction. It is incredibly hard to stop that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are so many great parts about basketball that make this game great. The fundamentals of shooting, dribbling and passing as well as defence are critical to creating a balanced athlete. Of all of these skills the most underrated, in my opinion, is passing. Finding the open player, giving up a good shot for a great shot and being selfless to get your teammate the ball are all incredibly powerful parts of this game. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A long time ago when I was coaching at a basketball camp in California I heard an interesting story about Steve Nash when he was at College in Santa Clara. An opposing coach was talking about how Steve was such a precise passer that if he didn’t want a particular teammate to shoot the ball then he would pass slightly off so that the player could catch the ball but they wouldn’t be in a position to be able to shoot it. This would help the team with their shot selection and I thought it was brilliant. Passes can be used to set teammates up for success or they can be used to find an even better option. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the book A Coach’s Life by Dean Smith I read about how he coached a player that was only looking for himself. He would only shoot himself and didn’t have any interest in getting his teammates the ball. After the opposing team scored Coach Smith stopped practice and took the remaining 4 players off the court. He told the player he was now playing 1 on 5 to which the player asked how he was going to inbound the ball. Coach Smith responded to him “Good, now you learned you need two anyways.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes players get so wrapped up in being a scorer and they don’t realize that being a play maker is so much more powerful. Scorers can be hard to stop but playmakers are even more difficult because they can create for themselves as well as find other people. Playmakers embody the spirit of giving. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-88774861671486255722016-12-18T20:18:00.003-05:002016-12-18T20:25:46.845-05:00Rise and Shine - A Craig Sager Story <div style="line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He fought off the cancer twice just to have it return a third time. His family was told he had two weeks to live five separate times but Sager kept fighting his battle. One of his son’s was a perfect match and donated marrow to help him continue to fight the fight not once but twice. On the third time an anonymous donor stepped up to help him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Patients who receive bad news about a terminal illness seem to react so differently. It often seems that when that moment happens you get a glimpse of who they really are under all of the masks we often wear to protect ourselves from the outside world. It has been said that looking into someone’s eyes allows you to see the content of their soul. I think a truer test is seeing how a person chooses to live their life when they find out there isn’t much time left. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Craig insisted he needed to continue working. He wanted to continue living his best life and most of all he absolutely refused to give up. Many of his huge, dominating and successful NBA athlete and coach friends were incredibly touched by his perseverance in the face of such incredible odds. Craig talked to his doctor and they found a treatment plan that would allow him to continue to work even covering the NBA Finals for the first time in his 34 year career. This treatment plan was virtually unheard of but he used mental toughness and the love of his career as well as support of his family to help to get him through. With the travel schedule he endured matched with the chemo treatments it is hard to imagine how it was even possible. Somehow he dug deep and continued to write his own story despite the odds. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shaq said of him that he always asked the right question. There is power in that. He conducted himself with class and never would delve into the negative things other reporters might try to dig into. He worked with the players and built their trust by keeping it positive. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last year he received the Jimmy V award for perseverance at the ESPY’s. I have included the link here in case you wanted to watch. It is very inspirational. It gives an excellent perspective as to the type of man he was. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01BMPwDUO74" target="_blank"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01BMPwDUO74</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the video there is three quotes he shared that I find very enlightening so here they are:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Time is something that cannot be bought, it cannot be wagered with God and it is not in endless supply. Time is simply how you live your life. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whatever I might have imagined a terminal diagnosis would do to my spirit it summoned quite the opposite — the greatest appreciation for life itself. So I will never give up. I will never give in. I will continue to keep fighting sucking the marrow out of life as life sucks the marrow out of me. I live my life full of love and full of fun it’s the only way I know how. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If I have learned anything through all of this it’s that each and every day is a canvas waiting to be painted. An opportunity for love, for fun, for living, for learning. To those of you out there who are suffering from cancer facing adversity I want you to know that your will to live and to fight cancer can make all the difference in the world. The way you think influences the way you feel and the way you feel determines how you act. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think the last thing he said applies to anyone not just those who have cancer. The way you think does influence the way you feel and the way you feel really impacts how you act. In the face of terrible life circumstances Craig Sager chose to take some terrible events and use them to Rise and Shine! I think we can all find a ways to do that and that helps to carry the memory of him on. Thanks for being that amazing example Craig! </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-782858539224796162016-12-11T23:17:00.000-05:002016-12-11T23:27:04.756-05:00Sports Drink Drawbacks and Alternatives<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Although sports drinks are very popular and are marketed to promote recovery and hydration.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">There is some science that supports they may not be the best thing for athletes in every type of situation. This article has been put together to show some of the downsides of using sports drinks in the wrong circumstances and to bring up some alternatives that may be better suited for athletes at different points.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">When considering the use of sports drinks there are a couple of things to make note of. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Let’s start off first with some important facts Gatorade was formulated in the 1960’s by Florida scientist to help football players to restore electrolytes lost during competition. Gatorade is owned by Pepsico and their competitor Coca-Cola owns Powerade. The two of those companies together make up nearly 100% of the market. This market is about US$4.8 billion according to Forbes magazine. Keep in mind that both Coca-Cola and Pepsico are in the business of selling pop which is an not an ideal beverage for an athletes to consume. Although this is a sports product there are some drawbacks in terms of how healthy they may actually be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Gatorade has a lot of sugar in it and not just regular sugar but refined sucrose type of sugar. This is highly addictive and very saturated within this drink. The recommended serving of Gatorade on the label is 8 ounces which contains 14 grams of sugar. However, athletes typically would consume the entire bottle which is usually 32 ounces. This is about 56 grams of sugar being ingested which is the equivalent of sugar in nearly 2 cans of pop. Regardless of how much energy is being expended that is a lot of sugar especially considering the kind of sugar being used is the kind that spikes blood sugar which is definitely not ideal when it comes to optimizing performance during a competition. Spikes in blood sugar are incredibly challenging to overcome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Citric acid is also found in sports drinks this is very harmful to teeth on its own. It is increasingly detrimental when mixed with sugar. According to the American Dental Association both citric acid and sugar can erode teeth and promote tooth decay. According to a study by the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry Gatorade was more harmful to teeth than Coca-Cola and second only to Red Bull. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">For aesthetic purposes and to differentiate the flavours from one another sports drinks come with artificial colours. Although these colourings are government approved there is some evidence that the colours associated with these beverages can have an impact on children and may not be as safe as previously expected. For example there is evidence that seems to suggest that with the blue dye that is used it does in fact turn your tongue blue. It also may discolour other parts of your body tissue including the brain. Some of these colours impact lab rats with cancerous tumours and also impact children with ADHD. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">One of the things that sets Gatorade apart is the brand ambassadors that use the product like Michael Jordan, Serena Williams as well as other professional athletes. What may be the most surprising thing of all is that although they may use sports drinks they may not be using it to the degree that people think they are. Water is probably the biggest source of hydration these athletes use. They often use the signature green bottles which disguise what is actually being consumed. According to some sources may even be a completely different sports drink called Biosteel which was the case a few years ago in the NHL. Please see the links below for more information on this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">In the article “Is Gatorade Dangerous for Your Heath?” on the website the Heath & Fitness CheatSheet author Lauren Weiler wrote: </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">So, is Gatorade really dangerous? It depends on your level of physical activity and how much of the drink you’re consuming — if you’re a marathon runner or someone who partakes in hours of strenuous activity, then the electrolytes that Gatorade offers may benefit you. But, if you’re just working out for an hour at the gym, then the excess sodium and sugar are not necessary, and water will do just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">It should be noted that when Gatorade is most useful is when athletes are training significantly and sweating profusely. If they have multiple practices or games then sports drinks are useful if it is just one game or practice than water is fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Is Gatorade the best option for a post workout recovery? One of the best things to drink is chocolate milk, chocolate almond or soy milk as it has so many positive proteins and nutrients which sports drinks don’t have. Take a look at this website for more information. http://www.rechargewithmilk.ca/?drink=sports-drink&gclid=CIiJ-OGZ69ACFZGHaQodn_0Mkg#compare</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">If you wold like to know more information about BioSteel which is a healthier alternative to other sports drinks. These two links are highly recommended. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.biosteel.com/en-ca/products/ready-to-drink-case-12-bottles/76">https://www.biosteel.com/en-ca/products/ready-to-drink-case-12-bottles/76</a></span></div>
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Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-55886504839646876692016-12-04T22:37:00.000-05:002016-12-04T22:37:05.385-05:00Playing with Passion <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Whether it is music or a sport there is no substitute for playing with passion.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Going through the motions is so detrimental to growth, purpose and the performance itself. It also interferes with the ability of the audience to really get into it the way they want to.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It is such a waste to be gifted in something and then not show the passion to keep learning growing, evolving and displaying that skill to the highest level. When a player plays with passion it is like having a spot light on them. They stand out for so many great reasons.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">They don't have to be perfect or do every single thing right but it is playing for a higher purpose that is so compelling. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have ever been to a concert of music that you might not normally even like there are times when you can still be pulled in with the passion and the presence of the performer. It isn’t always exactly clear why they just might be incredibly captivating. Passion is a big time difference maker and can be responsible for extremely high level performances as well as the amount of time someone stays with their craft. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let’s be honest basketball is a “young person’s game” in that at some point it needs to be given up and moved on from. Even if you can still play eventually every player declines from where they were in their prime. This goes for athletes that get to play the game at the highest levels of professional sports too. No one is exempt from having to either stop playing or accept their decline when the time comes. This is why learning to tap into playing wish passion is critical at younger ages.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some athletes get the opportunity to choose when the dimer switch starts to turn the light off on the game and other times it is a switch that the athlete has no part in the decision making process because they may be injured or be dealing with other circumstances outside of their control. This is why learning to tap into the passion of the game early is so critical because when the process is over it always feels better knowing that you gave what you could. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are obstacles that get in the way of success like injuries, relationships with coaches, other players and so on. Passion can help you to figure out why you are putting yourself through the challenges and it can also help to provide the motivation on how much you are willing to persevere through the situation in order to be successful. Passion can be tapped into so that those situations aren’t as painful to go through. It helps you to be clear about why you are doing what you are doing and find a way to get through to the other side of the obstacle. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hustle</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It would be impossible to play with passion without some form of hustle as the two go hand and hand. Hustle is a skill that must be practiced. You can’t turn off the hustle and then turn it on again with any degree of accuracy. Hustle works best when it is utilized liberally. On the court when someone is hustling it becomes very apparent that they are passionate because they are willing to do the little things that make an impact. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Be infectious </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When a player plays with passion it is incredibly infectious to other teammates. When you give more your teammates are often willing to do the same. Passion helps to ignite energy within other players and really can shift the team in a positive direction. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are some ways to be infectious using passion: </span></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Cheer on the bench when you are on the bench </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Celebrate your teammates when they do something amazing </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Make hustle plays</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Give energy to your teammates by giving them high fives and positive encouragement </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Helping them up when they go down after a hustle play </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Take a charge</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Dive for a loose ball </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Chase down a defender so they don’t get an easy look at a basket </span></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In closing, learning to play with passion is key. Having a good idea of the reasons you play is very important to utilizing passion properly. It helps you to persevere when things aren’t going your way and also helps to cope when you have to transition to another part of your life. Passion and hustle go hand and hand to bring the best out of the player. Finding ways to be infectious will help your teammates as well as yourself to tap into your passion more readily. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-4956727869653199692016-11-27T21:27:00.006-05:002016-11-27T21:27:57.641-05:00What's a Parent to Do? An Article by Kate Hays <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is an article from a Psychologist named Kate Hays about helping kids with their performances. I had the opportunity to listen to her speak a few weeks ago and it was outstanding. I was looking through some of her resources and came across this article so I wanted to share this information with you as I find her insights amazing. She works with dancers, singers and athletes helping them to achieve their peak performance in high pressure situations. Kate’s website and information is listed at the very bottom of this article. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What’s a Parent to Do? The Advice Edge </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Constructive Ways to Give your Kids Performance Advice</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By: Kate Hays Ph. D. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Scene: the year-end recital at a music school. Nine year old Sarah (as I’ll call her) steps onto the stage and walks over to the piano. With worry in her eyes, she scans the audience of eager <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/parenting">parents</a> and friends, then turns back to the piano. Hesitantly, she starts her piece, pauses…and starts again. She stumbles through to the end and walks from the stage, head down.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As families later stream out of the music school, Stan, her father—newly arrived in town as principal of a prestigious school—hisses at her: “You have shamed me; you have shamed the school.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">True story….I was one of those leaving the music school at that moment and overheard his comment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s a pretty dramatic example of how <i>not</i> to give your kid feedback. It does, though, illustrate aspects of what we all do: We identify with our child’s performance and we communicate with them at the first possible moment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who’s performing?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We care—passionately—about how our kid is performing. That identification is great—our child matters to us more than any other child. But: a central aspect of helping our kids become their own people is to differentiate between ourselves and them. That task is <i>our</i> job, not theirs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stan may have always wished to play the piano; he may have messed up some of his performances; he’s no doubt really uptight about his new role. That’s <i>his</i> stuff to deal with—not to lay on Sarah.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes as parents we lose sight of the fact that our children are just that: children. They have their own reasons for engaging in this performance area. What they need from us is systematic support to help them continue this learning process and to recognize their accomplishment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While the end of year recital or final game of the season may be the most dramatic moment for assessing kids’ accomplishments, some approaches can be useful for any game or practice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as far as that goes, we adults can apply these lessons to our own performance, too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two things are vital to this review: timing and content.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When do you review a performance?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Right after a performance, people are filled with emotion. Being human, we tend to focus on what went wrong, what we flubbed…or just the feeling of relief that it’s all over. Because this is a time of heightened feeling, it’s exactly the wrong time to attempt any rational assessment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I ask kids what they’d like to do on that ride home from a game, or just after a performance, they tend to say: I want to listen to music. Text a friend. Stare out the window and think about nothing. Go for an ice cream. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What happens instead? Typically, parents assume this is the teachable moment, the time to tell their kid what they did wrong and what they should do to fix it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How about a different approach?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I recommend that you and your child develop a plan ahead of time for when to review their performance. Over and over, I hear kids look for a break before this discussion, whether it’s two hours or the next day. When kids and parents can agree on a time to review, everyone’s much happier—and the opportunity for constructive learning is markedly increased.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do you talk about? The 3 Questions</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are three questions that parents can discuss with their kids. These questions help people reflect and learn from the activity. They give direction for future action. They’re good questions for discussion between child and parent.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 2. What did I learn—or re-learn?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 3. What do I want to do differently next time?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some people find it helpful to write down the responses, so that the learning can become cumulative.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These ideas apply, whether it’s end of season or the middle of things, whether you’re a kid or an adult, and regardless of your area of performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For some additional—overlapping but not the same—thoughts about end of season reflections and opportunities, check out a recent blog by colleague Dr. Jim Taylor @ <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jim-taylor/7-things-parents-can-say_b_9647528.html"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jim-taylor/7-things-parents-can-say_b_9647528.html</span></a><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For some additional ideas about parents and kids in <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/sport-and-competition">sports</a>—but applicable to any other performance realm, a couple of books are standouts in my mind:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cheers-Tears-Healthy-Alternative-Sports/dp/0787940372/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460582234&sr=1-1&keywords=cheers+and+the+tears+murphy"><i>The Cheers and the Tears</i></a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> by Dr. Shane Murphy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Young-Athletes-Developing-Champions/dp/1442218207/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460582294&sr=1-1&keywords=parenting+young+athletes+smoll"><i>Parenting Young Athletes</i></a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> by Frank Smoll and Ronald E. Smith</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For a well-written memoir about the struggle to handle <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/stage-fright">stage fright</a> as a pianist, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Scared-History-Memoir-Fright/dp/162040091X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460582327&sr=1-1&keywords=playing+scared+solovitch"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>Playing Scared</i></span></a> by Sarah Solovitch</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as always, if you’ve got thoughts or questions you’d like to direct to me, feel free to contact me @ <a href="http://www.theperformingedge.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.theperformingedge.com</span></a></span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-54570950500123473332016-11-20T19:37:00.003-05:002016-11-20T19:47:13.774-05:00Profile of an Amazing Coach - Lisa Thomaidis <div style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Lisa Thomaidis is the Coach for the Canadian Women's National Team and she had an incredible year this year. I thought I would highlight her as I read an interesting article about her this week. I really like what a powerful and successful coach she is. Some of the tactics and ideas are really perspective changing like the way she structures her timeouts. Most players are on the bench and the coach is in front of them facing them directly and providing direction. Coach Thomaidis angles her chair so that she is sitting beside her players to provide feedback and guidance. It gives the perspective that we are in this together instead of the way other coaches typically handle time outs where they are at the helm. To me it makes the circle much more inclusive in a way because of the room it opens up for other players to be able to see what she is talking about. Her back is only to a couple of players rather than all of them except for the five players in front of her. It is a small change that can really shifted my perspective in terms of thinking about a different way to do a very common basketball things. She looks like the hub of the wheel in a way which is a much more inspiring and collaborative leadership style. Given her success with her teams it seems to be working. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Huskies Head Coach Has Year for the Ages </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">by Scott Larson </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sasktoon Starphoenix </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lisa Thomaidis will have a very hard time repeating the success she has enjoyed over the past year or so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team’s head coach, who carries the same title with Canada’s national team, piled one success on top of another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thomaidis started by guiding the national team to a Pan Am Games gold medal where they went 5-0. She followed that up with Team Canada winning the 2015 FIBA Americas Women’s Championship in Edmonton (again going undefeated,) which also qualified the team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then she spent a historic season with the Huskies who won their first-ever CIS national title this past March, downing the Ryerson University Rams 85-71 in the final.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then it was back with Team Canada at the Rio Olympics this summer, where they made it to the quarter-finals before bowing out to France.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“It has been a whirlwind,” said Thomaidis, whose Huskies played their home-opener Friday night against Winnipeg. “It was one highlight after another. All I can do is sit back and feel so fortunate and grateful to have had all of these opportunities … Once in a lifetime experiences. I don’t think it is possible to top that.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thomaidis says the national team’s success has given them some well-deserved attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But, that success didn’t come overnight. It was a four-year build off the 2012 London Olympics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And the same can be said for the Huskies run toward a national championship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“We knew from the get-go that we had the talent to be able to do it, but so much has to go your way,” said Thomaidis, who is in her 17th year as the Huskies head coach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“You can have the talent, but so many more things have to come together for you — you have to stay injury-free, you have to be playing well at the right time — to see all that come to fruition.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">She was especially happy for the veterans, who had put so much time into making the Huskies the best team in the country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“To see someone like Dalyce (Emmerson, who is third all-time in Huskie points) finish off her career like that. She has a special place in my heart, in what she was able to accomplish here at the U of S. And someone like a Laura Dally (a transfer from Western), who took a chance on us and moved halfway across the country to join our team and have a shot at a national championship, and to do it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“And then getting an email from Sabine (Dukate from Latvia who asked to join the team) and all of a sudden she becomes our starting point guard and a huge piece of the puzzle.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dukate is the Huskies’ only returning starter, as they begin a new chapter in their history. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And that suits Thomaidis just fine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“It was probably good to have so many highlights last year, winning the national championship and then with the Olympic team. It seemed like it was a natural end point,” says Thomaidis. “It was the end of a (four-year cycle) with the national team, it was the end of an era with the Huskie team. And now we are starting something new.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“Coming into this year I actually felt quite rejuvenated. Anytime you get a chance to start from scratch with a group of young players; help mold them and build a new team with a very different look. To see if you can do it all over again with different personnel.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That challenge has helped take away any Olympic hangover she may have had coming into this season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“I was tired by the end of (the Olympics), but coming here and seeing a bunch of new faces and new prospects helped me get over that post-Olympic depression or letdown that they talk about.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">She looks at her young squad as underdogs this season, but know other teams still see them as national champions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">“Even though this is a very different team than last year, we still have that S on our chests,” she said. “We have had a very good run over the last four to five years … so everyone is going to get up to play us.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Huskies resume their two-game set with Winnipeg Saturday at 6:15 p.m. (the men play at 8 p.m.).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Their national-championship banner raising goes next weekend, when they host the Brandon Bobcats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:slarson@postmedia.com">slarson@postmedia.com</a></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-25560330181222504672016-11-13T20:32:00.003-05:002016-11-14T16:28:44.291-05:00Improbable Path: Jonathon Simmons’ Rise <h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I love the San Antonio Spurs! One of the things I like the most is how they seem to find and develop incredible players that really make an impact on their team. The Spurs coaching staff find 'diamonds in the rough’ and make them into incredible players. Many coaches go for the sure thing and the Spurs do that as well. However, what they have done over time is given athletes the opportunity to continue to grow, evolve and move up. They find athletes that may not get much of a look on other teams and as they work with the system they end up thriving. This has definitely been the case Jonathon Simmons’ over time. A few years ago he was part of the D-League and Summer League team associated with the Spurs. Now he has climbed his way up to being on the Spurs team and has had a couple of really great games so far. I wanted to share an article that Lorne Chan wrote just to give some perspective on his path. </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Improbable Path: Jonathon Simmons’ Rise </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> By: Lorne Chan Spurs.com</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">http://www.nba.com/spurs/improbable-path/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">When Jonathon Simmons walked into an Austin gym three years ago, he was one of 60 guys refusing to give up on a dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The Austin Toros held an open tryout at Concordia University in September 2013, where the requirements were a $150 registration fee and an accurate size for a souvenir jersey.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Some in attendance had pro experience, while others played their most competitive games in a neighbor’s driveway. Simmons was a relative unknown, with a resume that contained one season of Division I basketball and a few semi-pro games.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The open tryout is a place where everybody has been told no before. They are participants who have been told at some point that they might be better off giving up on basketball. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">They find themselves at a D-League open tryout because they refuse to believe what they’ve been told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"> “I try to focus on moving forward, but I still think back to that tryout all the time,” Simmons said. “Walking in with all those guys, trying to figure out a way to stand out.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Three years later, Simmons is a 26-year-old NBA rookie for the Spurs. He heard a chant from the crowd in Milwaukee during a January game:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“Who Are You? Who Are You?”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons responded with a career-high 18 points.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Spurs fans have gotten to know Simmons this season as a key member of the “Juice Unit,” the Silver & Black reserves who make up one of the best benches in the NBA.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">A 6-foot-6 guard, he’s averaging 5.7 points per game with an array of high-flying highlights as he nears the end of his rookie season. His improbable path from an unknown at an open tryout to the NBA may be the ultimate leap.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">A year ago, Simmons was scraping by to earn diaper money for his children. Now, Simmons has an NBA contract and the NBA per diem alone –money players receive for meals on the road – is more than he made playing basketball before this season. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“I still can’t believe this,” said his mother, LaTonya Simmons. “This is one of those stories you see in a movie, but this is not somebody else’s story. I’m looking at the TV, and that is my child on the screen.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Count LaTonya among those who weren’t sure about her son’s basketball future.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">She saw him toil in 2012-13 with the Sugar Land Legends, a suburban semi-pro team in Houston. He’d score 30 or 40 points a game, but in front of sparse crowds for little or no pay. With nobody watching, calls weren’t coming in for Simmons to further his career.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">LaTonya had a fallback career in mind for him. As a barber.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“He’s pretty good at cutting hair, and he would have built up a nice clientele,” LaTonya said. “I told him a few times in the offseason he should think about getting his barber’s license. Basketball turns out to be better than cutting hair.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">A tryout in Austin might have been Simmons’ last shot at pro basketball. With daughters to support at home, the barber’s chair was the viable option. Simmons was closer to holding clippers than facing the Clippers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Tryouts are a key part of building a roster for the now-Austin Spurs. The entire coaching staff runs participants through six hours of drills, with San Antonio Spurs scouts and staff members in attendance as well. According to Brian Pauga, the Austin Spurs’ general manager and San Antonio Spurs’ director of scouting, it only took a few minutes to see that Simmons was “head and shoulders” above everybody else trying out.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“We saw an athlete who could really finish plays,” Pauga said. “He clearly had so much talent, but the work he put in since that day is why he is where he is now.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons was a raw talent at the tryout, having bounced around at two junior colleges and the University of Houston. He grew up in Houston’s northeast side, attending what was then called M.B. Smiley High. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons went to class enough to stay eligible for basketball, but there was little else for motivation at Smiley.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">During Simmons’ senior year in 2007-08, a Johns Hopkins study labeled Smiley as a “dropout factory,” a school where at least 40 percent of a freshman class doesn’t get to their senior year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Smiley was rated “academically unacceptable” by the Texas Education Agency, and it’s school district, North Forest, recorded an average SAT score - 748 out of 1600 – that was one of the worst in Texas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">In 2013, the TEA shut down North Forest ISD, and the Houston ISD absorbed the entire school district.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“Jonathon was a good kid,” LaTonya said, “But there aren’t many kids in this neighborhood who are given a chance. He always had a dream of the NBA, but you got the feeling that it might be unreachable.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">LaTonya was doing all that she could to raise her four kids; Jonathon, the oldest, his younger brother and two sisters. LaTonya has worked at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport for almost 20 years now, doing everything from working at check-in to taking boarding passes for United Airlines. She sent tens of thousands of people off on their dream vacations, without taking a trip of her own. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Raising four children on her own, LaTonya didn’t have any time or money for a vacation. Working shifts that bled into dinnertime, LaTonya would take the four kids to McDonald’s, where they had their choice of $3 worth of items off the Dollar Menu.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“I still like the Dollar Menu though, no matter how much I’m making,” Jonathon said.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">LaTonya is still working at the airport, where she’s added a mini-Spurs ball to the antennae of her walkie-talkie. She said strangers come up to her every day talking about her son. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“Some people will just yell ‘Go Spurs Go!’ from down the hall,” LaTonya said. “Whenever I get that, and I tell my son’s story, it makes you think about how many people work their whole lives for goals, but they get so close and it seems so far. Jonathon had obstacles and setbacks, but he stayed focused.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Jonathon graduated from Smiley and attended junior colleges – one year at Paris Junior College and two years at Midland JC – as he worked toward qualifying for a Division I school. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Staying close to home, he attended the University of Houston for his junior season. He led the Cougars in scoring, averaging 14.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Rather than return for his senior season, Simmons opted to enter into the 2012 NBA Draft. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Houston coach Wayne Dickey said he advised against it, but Simmons was determined to declare.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He had another motivating factor: providing for his three daughters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons believed he was ready and had a chance to support his children. Others weren’t so sure.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"I didn’t want him to fall into the category of a guy who should have made it,” said Dickey, who is now an assistant at Oklahoma State. “We all loved coaching him. His heart was always in the right place, and he always wanted to do what’s best. But we didn’t know what was going to happen.“</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons went undrafted and was without a backup plan. He said he didn’t know about his D-League or overseas basketball options at the time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“That was maybe the time that I really doubted myself the most,” he said. “I was seeing guys that I played against in college get drafted and go to Summer League, and I had nothing. I felt like I could have played at that level back then, but I had no options.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons took the first paying gig he could find playing basketball, and it was with the semi-pro Sugar Land Legends. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">He was easily the best player on the floor, but playing in high school gyms, Simmons realized how far from the NBA he was.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">He needed any sort of way to stand in front of a professional coach and show what he had to offer. There happened to be a team in Austin taking a look at all comers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The Austin Spurs have signed players out of open tryouts before. Forward Eric Dawson, who grew up a couple of miles away from the AT&T Center, spent parts of four seasons in Austin and earned a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2012. Wing Terrance Woodbury and guard Devondrick Walker have also turned their tryouts into Austin Spurs contracts.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">With Simmons, Austin coaches knew he had the potential to be the best player they had seen in a tryout. Now, they had to get to work.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“The D-League really lights a fire under you,” said Spurs guard Danny Green, one of five players on the team with D-League experience. “You see what it takes to make it to the NBA and how many great players in the D-League are next to you gunning for those same spots. A lot of guys should experience that.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Before he arrived in Austin, Simmons had never spent more than one season in any system.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“He used to just put his head down and try to jump over you, and that’s just not life in the NBA,” said Austin Spurs coach Ken McDonald. “When he learned to see the floor in our system, from there he took off.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Austin Spurs coaches sit down with players at the beginning of each season, and map out a list of goals, working on strengths and weaknesses. For Simmons, defense and outside shooting were underlined.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">He averaged 10 points a game for Austin in 2013-14, and his first season in the D-League opened up some options overseas as well. Simmons decided to stay in Austin for another year, because he didn’t want to be an ocean away from his family, which now included four daughters. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"> “When you’re evaluating players, you’re also evaluating their character,” Austin Spurs coach Ken McDonald said. “In our notes on Jonathon, we made sure to put that whenever he had some spare time on the road, he was on FaceTime with his daughters.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">As Simmons returned to Houston for another offseason, the doubts began to creep back. Nights in Bakersfield and Boise wore him down and the NBA calls hadn’t come yet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“I tried to limit doubt as much as possible,” Simmons said. “You have to try to stay positive and go from there. Coaches kept telling me that I had to have faith.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">In his second Austin season, 2014-15, Simmons reached those underlined goals. His work ethic was second to none, and his 3-point percentage jumped from .284 (25 of 88) in his first season to .398 (51 of 128). He was named to the D-League All-Defensive Third Team.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">But Simmons watched as teammates JaMychal Green, Bryce Cotton and Jarell Eddie all received call-ups, and he didn’t. Simmons said he was proud of his teammates at the time, but the situation was even difficult for McDonald to handle.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“All these guys around him are leaving the nest, and we don’t understand why he isn’t getting called up either,” McDonald said. “He was doing all the right things. But we had to just preach to him that he was right there.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The call finally came in July 2015, while Simmons was on the bus with Brooklyn’s summer league team. His agent called to tell him the Spurs were prepared to offer his first NBA contract.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The dream once thought as unreachable was now a reality. Simmons would never have to think about being a barber again. He won’t have to worry about scrounging money for diapers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“It’s surreal and also humbling at the same time,” Simmons said. “The process was a grind, and I don’t take any part of it for granted. It was a humbling experience, and now I enjoy this part even more.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">One of his first calls was to LaTonya, who said she spent the entire night in shock. Simmons joined the Spurs’ Summer League team in Las Vegas and celebrated with a championship game MVP trophy as the Spurs won the tournament.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons said he feels his journey is just beginning. He’s still an NBA rookie, after all. He’s scored in double figures eight times this season, providing a valuable jolt of energy off the bench.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“He just dives into the game, and he competes,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s really got great athletic skills, and he’s a quick learner, a good worker. So he’s got a chance to be a long-time player in the league if he pays attention and sticks to it.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Going from an open tryout to the NBA, there’s one part of his new life Simmons is still trying to grasp. He often runs into people on the street who tell him he’s an inspiration.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Simmons thought of himself as a guy grinding away, who took the long way to his professional dream. He was a guy trying to support his four children. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">He never thought about what people would think when he made it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">“People say it’s inspiring, but I still don’t see it,” he said. “I just had to work a little harder than others.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">In February, LaTonya Simmons was on the other side of the airport counter. After 18 years of long shifts to provide for her four kids, she flew to Los Angeles for a quick vacation. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">She did a little sightseeing before she went to the Staples Center, where her son faced the Clippers.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="mailto:lchan@attcenter.com">lchan@attcenter.com</a><br />Twitter:@lornechan</span></i></span></span></div>
</h3>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-68623385927199239852016-11-06T22:21:00.002-05:002016-11-06T22:24:15.227-05:00Ray Allen's Letter to My Younger Self <div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<i><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(39, 39, 39); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #272727; font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-size: large;">After not playing in the NBA for the last 2 years Ray Allen officially retired. He </span></span><span style="color: #272727; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: large;">published this letter to his 13-year-old self as a way to reflect back on his journey over the last couple of decades. Ever since reading his message earlier this week I got thinking his article really captures the essence of basketball at a high level. When players first start playing it's to be around friends or they think it's fun. There is so much positivity to it. However, when you get out of high school there is a different motivation especially when people's jobs depend on the outcome of their teams. If you don't have a rock solid foundation in your love for the game or you aren't sure how to protect it from other people who can really shake its foundation the game becomes a lot more complicated. Some players really love the idea of playing in the NBA. However, when it comes down to the work involved, the competition or how many obstacles you have to get through to be at that level other choices often become a lot more appealing. Over the years I have really enjoyed watching Ray Allen play and he will certainly be held in very high esteem. Here what he had to say: </span></i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear 13-year-old Ray,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you get off the school bus tomorrow, you’re going to be in a whole new world. This is nothing new. Every time your father gets stationed at a new Air Force base, you have to say goodbye to your friends and start a new life. It’s the same routine once every three years or so. New school, new culture, new faces. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Northern California. Then Germany. Then Oklahoma. Then England. Then Southern California. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">And now, Dalzell, South Carolina. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’re used to being the kid that nobody knows. The majority of your existence has been about trying to find new friends, trying to show people that you’re a good person and that you mean no harm. You’re used to being an outsider.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ve gotten pretty good at it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">This time is different though. It’s the middle of the school year. Everybody already knows one another. You’re at a critical age, and kids are just.… </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kids are just mean. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ve grown up in a military household your whole life. Until now, your friends were all from military families. You walked around the neighborhood with your I.D. card hanging around your neck like a dog tag in case some unfamiliar MPs rolled by. You spent your formative elementary school years in Britain. So you don’t even realize it, but to some people, you speak very proper. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you step off that school bus in South Carolina tomorrow and open your mouth, those kids are going to look at you like you’re an alien. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“You talk like a white boy,” they’ll say.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll look around the school and see groups of kids all paired off, and you’ll feel like you don’t have a place. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll think to yourself, <i>I don’t understand. Who am I supposed to be? </i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I wish I could tell you that it will get easier, and that you’re going to blend in, and that it’s going to be alright. But you’re not going to fit in with the white kids, or the black kids … or the nerds … or even the jocks.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“You talk like a white boy,” they’ll say.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll be the enemy to a lot of people simply because you’re not from around there.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">This will be both the toughest and the best thing that will ever happen to you.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">What I want you to do is this: Go to the basketball court. <i>Stay</i> at the basketball court. You can build your entire existence there. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The world is much bigger than Dalzell, South Carolina. If you stick to the plan, you’ll see. Remember that when when you’re lying in bed on Saturday and Sunday mornings and you hear the engine of your father’s old Trans-Van start up outside. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You know that sound. It’s not pretty. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">All you’ll want to do is sleep, but grab your sneakers and run down the stairs because he <i>will</i> leave you. You have exactly two minutes before the heat kicks on in the van and he’s backing out of the driveway. He’s on military time, and if you don’t get to the Air Force base court by 0900 on the dot to put your name at the top of the sign-up sheet, you’re going to have to wait around all day to get a run in. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll learn a lot on that court. As a 13-year-old kid playing against grown men, you’ll learn to play in transition out of necessity. You’ll play so fast that all the airmen will start calling you “Showtime” when you walk into the gym. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In between games, when you’re on the sidelines, I want you to listen very carefully to all the stories these guys tell. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’re going to hear a lot of, “Man, I coulda …” on these courts. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Man, I wish I could go back in time. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I’d have gone D-I. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Booze got the best of me. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Man, I coulda.… </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Man, I shoulda.… </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I wish I could go back, young fella.…</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don’t ever put yourself in the position to wish you could hop in a time machine, Ray. You need to stay focused, because things will only become more complicated as you have more success on the court.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you start getting attention from colleges, some of your own teammates will say things like, “UConn? You’ll sit on the bench for four years.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just because you don’t drink, they’ll say, “Man, you’re gonna be an alcoholic once you get to college. You won’t be ready. All they do is drink there.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">A lot of people don’t want to see you succeed. Don’t get into fistfights with these kids. Trust me, it will accomplish nothing. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Instead, remember exactly who said those things. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Remember <i>how</i> they said it. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Remember their faces. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Keep these voices inside your head and use them as fuel every single day when you wake up. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">And the voices telling you you’re the man? Those are the voices to keep out. When you start getting some national attention in high school, you’ll hear things like, “Ray’s jumpshot is God-given.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listen: God doesn’t care whether or not you make your next jump shot. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">God will give you a lot of things in life, but he’s not going to give you your jump shot. Only hard work will do that. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don’t be so naive as to think you’re ready for college ball. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Young fella, you’re not ready. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In high school, you might <i>think</i> you understand what it takes to be a great basketball player, but you will truly have no idea. When you get to UConn, your coach will show you what hard work really is. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">His name is Jim Calhoun. Don’t get on this man’s shit list.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you walk into the gym for that first practice, get ready for hell on wheels. You’re going to be all excited to put on your Huskies gear and start shooting around. But then Coach Calhoun is going to flip the script.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Freshmen!” he’ll say. “You think you deserve to wear this uniform? You don’t deserve the privilege. Not yet.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I want to see some sweat,” Coach will say. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Up until that very moment, you’ll think basketball is all about going out and putting up some jump shots and showing your skill. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you get put through Coach Calhoun’s first practice you’ll realize, <i>Oh, this game is a sonofabitch. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You will be put through the hardest workout of your life. You’ll be gasping for air, hunched over. But the thing is, the gym in Storrs is air conditioned. Your body is used to playing in the sweatbox gyms in South Carolina, where there’s no air conditioning. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the practice, coach Calhoun is going to line everybody up and walk down the line, looking at every player. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When he gets to you, he’ll look down at your shirt. There will be a single bead of sweat trickling down your Adam’s apple. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’ll look at you. Then he’ll look at the little bead of sweat. Then he’ll look back at you. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“That’s it? I guess we didn’t work you hard enough, Allen.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next practice is going to be even tougher. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">This man is going to damn near break you, but he’s going to make you a much better player and person. This will be your introduction to what it <i>really</i> takes to be great. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few days later, you’re going to have one of the most memorable moments of your life. You’re going to wake up at 5:30 a.m. and go to the weight room to get your workout in, and then you’ll come back to the dorm and shower before class. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll put on a shirt and tie, throw your backpack over your shoulder and walk across campus to your first class of the day. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s early, so it’s still quiet. The leaves are crunching under your feet. You’re sore, but your clothes are on point. You got your work in. You’re prepared. You have a purpose. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t know what it is about this moment in particular, but as you’re walking, you’ll think, <i>Wow. I’m a college student. No matter what happens at the end of this tunnel, I’m going to make my family proud. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you get to your public-speaking class and sit down, this girl will turn to you and say, “Hey, why are you so dressed up?”<br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll say, “Because I can.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In that moment, it will feel like you have conquered the world. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I could end this letter right here, and you would still probably be excited about what you are going to accomplish in life. But you still have an 18-year NBA career ahead of you. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">How do I sum up nearly two decades in the NBA? What do you really need to know? What’s truly important?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll get to play against your heroes: Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll play alongside Hall of Famers: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes you’ll be afraid. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes you’ll think you’re out of your league. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">But you’ll keep showing up every day, putting in the work. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll put up more than 26,000 shots in your career. Almost six out of 10 won’t even go in. I told you this game was a sonofabitch. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don’t worry, though. A successful man is built of 1,000 failures. Or in your case, 14,000 misses. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll win a championship in Boston. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’ll win another in Miami. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The personalities on those two teams will be different, but both teams will have the same thing in common: habits. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Boring old habits. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know you want me to let you in on some big secret to success in the NBA. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The secret is there is no secret. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s just boring old habits.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In every locker room you’ll ever be in, everybody will <i>say</i> all the right things. Everybody says they’re willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to win a title. But this game isn’t a movie. It’s not about being the man in the fourth quarter. It’s not about talk. It’s getting in your work every single day, when nobody is watching.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listen: God doesn’t care whether or not you make your next jump shot.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade. The men who you are going to win championships with are all going to be very different people. What makes them champions is the boring old habits that nobody sees. They compete to see who can be the first to get to the gym and the last to leave.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your peers who think this is a cliché, or who think this doesn’t apply to them because they have God-given talent, will play their whole careers without winning an NBA title. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">But I want you to understand something deeper. The championships are not the point. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, there will be a sense of validation and vindication when you raise the trophy above your head, remembering everyone who ever said you wouldn’t amount to anything. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Four-year benchwarmer. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Alcoholic. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">White boy. </span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">But if I’m being real with you, what you’ll realize after you win the first title is that the thrill is fleeting. The vindication is fleeting. If you only chase that high, you’re going to end up very depressed. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The championships are almost secondary to the feeling you’ll get from waking up every morning and putting in the work. The championships are like when you were sitting in class at UConn with your shirt and tie on. They’re just the culmination.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your winding path to those moments, just like your walk across campus on that quiet fall morning in Connecticut, is where you will find happiness. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I really mean it from the bottom of my heart: Life is about the journey, not the destination. And that journey will change you as a person. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let me tell you one final story that may help you understand what I mean. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s the early morning hours of June 21, 2013. You’re 38 years old, and just a few hours ago you won Game 7 of the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You are an NBA champion for the second time.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You lay down in bed at about five in the morning, but you just can’t sleep. Finally, around seven o’clock, you give up on sleep and creep downstairs. All your friends and family have come over to your house to celebrate — they’re all passed out on couches, sound asleep. You tiptoe around them on the way to the kitchen to make some breakfast. The sun is coming up, the house is quiet. You have achieved exactly what you set out to do. But you’re still restless. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">So why do you feel this way? Isn’t this what you worked so hard for?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Around 7:30, you get into your car and go for a drive. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">You park your car in front of a white office building. They’re just opening up. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you walk in the door, the receptionist looks at you and says, “Ray? What … what are you doing here?” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I couldn’t sleep.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“But … you just won the title.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Yeah, I just wanted to get out of the house.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“But … it’s eight in the morning. And you just <i>won the title</i>.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: verdana; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 26px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Well, I still got some work to be done on this tooth. Is he in?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your dentist walks out of his office. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Ray? What are you … what?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Couldn’t sleep.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is what success looks like for you. You’re the kind of guy who goes to the dentist the morning after winning an NBA title. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know, man. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">But in order to achieve your dreams, you will become a different kind of person. You’ll become a bit obsessive about your routine. This will come at a heavy cost to some of your friends and family. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most nights, you won’t go out. Your friends will ask why. You won’t drink alcohol, ever. People will look at you funny. When you get to the NBA, you won’t always play cards with the boys. Some people will assume you’re not being a good teammate. You’ll even have to put your family on the back-burner for your job.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most of the time, you will be alone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">That won’t make you the most popular person. Some people simply won’t understand. Is the cost worth it? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Only you can answer that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Who am I supposed to be? </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tomorrow when you get off that school bus in South Carolina, you’ll have to choose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Every day for the rest of your life, you’ll have to choose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do you want to fit in, or do you want to embark on the lonely pursuit of greatness? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I write this to you today as a 41-year-old man who is retiring from the game. I write to you as a man who is completely at peace with himself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The hell you experience when you get off that bus will be temporary. Basketball will take you far away from that school yard. You will become far more than just a basketball player. You’ll get to act in movies. You’ll travel the world. You will become a husband, and the father of five amazing children. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, the most important question in your life isn’t, “Who am I supposed to be?” or even, “What do I have to do to win another championship?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s, “Daddy, guess what happened in math class today?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">That’s the reward that awaits you at the end of your journey. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Go to the court. <i>Stay</i> at the court. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Get your work in, young fella. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most people will never really get to know the real <i>you</i>. But they’ll know your work. </span></span></div>
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Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-63395195416786752652016-10-30T18:17:00.001-04:002016-10-30T18:31:39.311-04:00James Clear Article on the Power of Getting 1% Better <i style="font-size: 12px;">This is an article written by James Clear about the power of getting 1% better. I love James Clear's material because it speaks to how leaders in their field work on improving and pushing themselves to their highest capacity. I hope you all have a great week! </i><br />
<i style="font-size: 12px;">Coach Marla </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pat Riley on the Remarkable Power of Getting 1% Better</span></h1>
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<header style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: small;">By <a href="http://jamesclear.com/about" title="Learn more about James Clear.">James Clear</a> </span></header><header style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></header><div itemprop="text" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The 1986 Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most talented basketball teams ever assembled, but they are rarely remembered that way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The team started the 1985-86 NBA season with a 29-5 record. “The pundits were saying that we might be the best team in the history of basketball,” head coach Pat Riley mockingly said after the season.<span id="more-10253"></span> <a alt="See Footnote 1" data-footnote-content="<p><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-19/magazine/tm-1669_1_lakers">Temporary Insanity and Other Management Techniques: The Los Angeles Lakers’ Coach Tells All</a> by Pat Riley and Byron Laursen. Los Angeles Times Magazine.</p>" data-footnote-identifier="1" data-footnote-number="1" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-1-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="1"></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Despite their talent, the Lakers stumbled in the 1986 playoffs and suffered a surprising season-ending defeat in the Western Conference Finals. The “best team in the history of basketball” didn’t even play for the NBA Championship that year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">As the head coach, Pat Riley was tired of hearing about how much talent his players had and about how much promise his team held. He didn’t want to see flashes of brilliance followed by a gradual fade back to mediocrity. He wanted the Lakers to play up to their potential, night after night.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In the summer of 1986, Riley created a plan to do exactly that. </span><br />
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Step 1: Taking Their Number</h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Following the 1986 season, Riley revealed a new program that he called the Career Best Effort program or CBE. <a alt="See Footnote 2" data-footnote-content="<p>Jackie MacMullan’s book (cited below), claims that Riley began his CBE program during the 1984-85 NBA season. From what I can tell, the Lakers began tracking statistics of individual players at that time, but the CBE program as it is described in this article was first used during the 1986-87 NBA season.</p>" data-footnote-identifier="2" data-footnote-number="2" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-2-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="2"></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">“When players first join the Lakers,” Riley explained, “we track their basketball statistics all the way back to high school. I call this Taking Their Number. We look for an accurate gauge of what a player can do, then build him into our plan for the team, based on the notion that he will maintain and then improve upon his averages.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You’ll notice that Riley was interested in the <a href="http://jamesclear.com/average-speed">average speed</a> of his players. His first calculation was to see what a player’s normal day looked like, not his best day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In her book, <a href="http://jamesclear.com/book/when-the-game-was-ours">When the Game Was Ours</a> (<a href="http://jamesclear.com/audiobook/when-the-game-was-ours">Audiobook</a>), author Jackie MacMullan explains Riley’s CBE calculations by saying,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">“The Lakers coach recorded data from basic categories on the stat sheet, applied a plus or a minus to each column, and then divided the total by minutes played. He calculated a rating for each player and asked them to improve their output by at least 1 percent over the course of the season. If they succeeded, it would be a CBE, or Career Best Effort.” <a alt="See Footnote 3" data-footnote-content="<p>Thanks to a friendly reader, MSW, for originally telling me about Pat Riley’s CBE model.</p>" data-footnote-identifier="3" data-footnote-number="3" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-3-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="3"></span></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">Riley was careful to point out that CBE was not merely about points or statistics, but giving your “best effort spiritually and mentally and physically.” Players got credit for “allowing an opponent to run into you when you know that a foul will be called against him, diving for loose balls, going after rebounds whether you are likely to get them or not, helping a teammate when the player he’s guarding has surged past him, and other ‘unsung hero’ deeds.” <a alt="See Footnote 4" data-footnote-content="<p><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-19/magazine/tm-1669_1_lakers">Temporary Insanity and Other Management Techniques: The Los Angeles Lakers’ Coach Tells All</a> by Pat Riley and Byron Laursen. Los Angeles Times Magazine.</p>" data-footnote-identifier="4" data-footnote-number="4" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-4-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="4"></span></a></span></div>
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Step 2: Calculating Your CBE</h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I don’t know Riley’s exact formula, but here’s what the CBE calculation might look like in practice:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Let’s say that Magic Johnson had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, and 5 turnovers in a particular game. Magic also got credit for an “unsung hero” deed by diving after a loose ball (+1). Finally, he played a total of 33 minutes in this imaginary game.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">If we add up all the positive numbers (11+8+12+2+1), we get 34. Then, we subtract the 5 turnovers (34-5) to get 29. Finally, we divide 29 by 33 minutes played.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">29/33 = 0.879</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In this example, Magic’s CBE number would have been 879. <a alt="See Footnote 5" data-footnote-content="<p>From what I can tell, the Lakers talked about CBE scores in the same way you would talk about batting averages in baseball. That is, .312 is pronounced “three twelve.”</p>" data-footnote-identifier="5" data-footnote-number="5" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-5-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="5"></span></a> This number was calculated for all of a player’s games and he was then asked to improve his average CBE by one percent during the course of the season. Riley knew that if the Lakers could aggregate many small individual improvements they would achieve a big jump in team performance.</span></div>
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Step 3: Historical Comparisons</h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Throughout the 1987 season, Riley was constantly comparing each player’s current CBE to not only their past performances, but also other players around the league. As Riley put it, “We rank team members alongside league opponents who play the same position and have similar role definitions.” <a alt="See Footnote 6" data-footnote-content="<p><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-19/magazine/tm-1669_1_lakers">Temporary Insanity and Other Management Techniques: The Los Angeles Lakers’ Coach Tells All</a> by Pat Riley and Byron Laursen. Los Angeles Times Magazine.</p>" data-footnote-identifier="6" data-footnote-number="6" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-6-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="6"></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">“Riley trumpeted the top performers in the league in bold lettering on the blackboard each week and measured them against the corresponding players on his own roster.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Solid, reliable players generally rated a score in the 600s, while elite players scored at least 800. Magic Johnson, who submitted 138 triple-doubles in his career, often scored over 1,000.”<a alt="See Footnote 7" data-footnote-content="<p><a href="http://jamesclear.com/book/when-the-game-was-ours">When the Game Was Ours</a> (<a href="http://jamesclear.com/audiobook/when-the-game-was-ours">Audiobook</a>)</p>" data-footnote-identifier="7" data-footnote-number="7" href="http://jamesclear.com/career-best-effort#" name="note-7-10253" rel="footnote"><span data-footnote-number="7"></span></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">The Lakers also emphasized year-over-year progress by making historical comparisons of CBE data. Riley said, “We stacked the month of November, 1986, next to November, 1985, and showed the players whether they were doing better or worse than at the same point last season. Then we showed them how their performance figures for December, 1986, stacked up against November’s.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Imagine you’re one of the players. Every week you walk into the locker room and see your name ranked alongside Michael Jordan or Larry Bird or some other competitor across the league. You’re constantly aware of how you are performing relative to the competition and relative to your average performance. It is impossible to lie to yourself about whether you are playing well or poorly. You are are constantly aware of your choices, your actions, and your performance.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Compare that situation to how most of us live our lives. We don’t track or <a href="http://jamesclear.com/measuring">measure the things that we say are important to us</a>. We make excuses, create rationalizations, and lie to ourselves about our daily performance. We have no evidence of whether we are performing better or worse compared to previous months or years. It’s not hard to see why the CBE program delivered results.</span></div>
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The Results of CBE</h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Los Angeles Lakers began executing the CBE program in October of 1986. Eight months later, they were NBA Champions. The following year, during the 1987-88 season, Pat Riley led his team to another title as the Lakers became the first team in 20 years to win back-to-back NBA championships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">“Sustaining an effort is the most important thing for any enterprise. The way to be successful is to learn how to do things right, then do them the same way every time. Players can’t excel in every area, but they can strive to better themselves in the areas that we value most for each individual. Then we can show them what they need to do to have their Career Best Effort. Over the length of a season, a correlation always appears between great effort and great overall numbers. It may not show from one game to the next, but in the long run superior effort is reflected in the win column.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">—Pat Riley</span></blockquote>
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What Makes Great Performers Great?</h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There is a surprisingly narrow gap that separates the good performance from the great performance. And that narrow gap is separated by small habits and daily rituals.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It is so easy to dismiss the value of making slightly better decisions on a daily basis. <a href="http://jamesclear.com/repetitions">Sticking with the fundamentals</a> is not impressive. <a href="http://jamesclear.com/stay-focused">Falling in love with boredom</a> is not sexy. <a href="http://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains">Getting one percent better</a> isn’t going to make headlines.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">There is one thing about it though: it works.</span></div>
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</header>Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-60043631816497672702016-10-23T22:43:00.000-04:002016-10-23T22:53:30.721-04:00Getting Cut - Ways to Learn from It <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It can be very disheartening and challenging when a player gets cut from a team they were hoping to be a part of.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It doesn’t really matter if the team was a school team, provincial team, club team, national team or some other team they might have been trying out for.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It never feels good to be rejected or deselected from something you wanted to be a part of.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">There are many ways to deal with the situation.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Some athletes choose to use the experience as a way to get more bitter and frustrated which may eventually lead them to giving up or quitting.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">While other athletes choose to help the feedback make them a better player. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As coaches we sometimes say “it is better to get cut early” meaning that when you get cut at a younger age you have a chance to learn the most from the experience before it is too late and the time to improve runs out. You can re-evaluate and then use the feedback to continue to improve. When you get cut early you have a chance to rethink your motivation, change your habits and really dig in to find ways to get better. Sometimes getting cut helps you to choose a different path that is better suited for the next phase of your life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whenever I hear of somebody getting cut I often think of my experience of how I got cut in grade 7 from the junior girls team at my school and I was devastated. I was really angry at the coach but that's when I decided to engage my work ethic instead. I could tell getting mad was a waste of energy and I shifted to wanting to prove the coach wrong. My sister helped me to get better. She taught me how to do layups, how to shoot and also how to do so many of the fundamental things that would help me to get better. Once I had the foundation I shot up the ranks quickly playing on the grade 11 and 12 team when I was in grade 9. Besides my own experience of dealing with being cut early I also think about the story that is often told about Michael Jordan who was cut from the senior team when he was about 15 years old. He used that experience to fuel him because he never wanted to feel that pain again. I often think about how getting cut ignited his spirit, taught him how to dig deep and unleashed a powerful force on the basketball world. He never wanted to experience that feeling again so he made it so he became the greatest player ever. I sometimes wonder what kind of basketball player he would have been had that experience never happened to him? If he made the team instead of being cut would he have had the same career later in his life? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cuts happen, coaches have choices to make as there are only a certain number of players that can round out a roster and sometimes it comes down to the number of players in those positions as well as the fit of the athlete. During a Canada Basketball training camp a couple of the coaches who were former National Team members divulged that every single player that eventually made the team had been cut in the years prior to finally being selected. So, no one is immune to rejection and it becomes common and standard practice the higher the level you try to reach. </span></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Get Feedback - This can be painful but helpful if you can ever get feedback from the coach(es) that cut you it is important to ask. It is the very best way to figure out ways to continue to improve especially if it hurts. Try to also figure it out yourself by watching other people and learning from players that are better than you. You have to learn to be your own best coach. Most often it is about the details and executing those movements the best you can as close as possible to what was shown. The next time the drill or skill try to remember the little things and learn to repeat them. </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Take the Lesson - learning to deal with rejection is a crucial lesson in life. There are a lot of ways that life isn’t going to go the way you are expecting it to go. When bad things happen you have to find a way to dig deep and find away through them. Many people who get rejected learn to come back stronger and better than they were before. Adversity is the best teacher. </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Come up with an Action Plan - Once you have a good idea of what needs to be improved really work on getting better. If you identify your shot needs to get better find someone that can help you improve your technique. Work on your plan every single day. </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Channel the pain - Use the pain as fuel and every time you don’t feel like working on your game or your workout isn’t going well that is when you tap into that feeling to really get your fired up to keep going. This should be able to help turn things around. </span></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In closing, there are a lot of times in life when things aren’t going to go your way. Opportunities will come and go but being able to respond to them is what matters most. Sometimes getting rejected helps you to take time to get over it and build confidence to not put yourself in a position to let that happen again. You may not have control over what happens to you but you always have control over how you respond to those circumstances every single time. </span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962983356104066675.post-20855235253775388152016-10-16T21:54:00.002-04:002016-10-16T23:04:25.876-04:00Locker Room Talk<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This week’s blog is coming straight from the heart. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the statements Donald Trump made into a hot mic that came to light recently. Although those statements were made 11 years ago they</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> were incredibly hurtful and demeaning to women. Knowing this wasn't just a one time incident. Trump has had so many sexist statements come out that it is impossible to ignore this last one.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The thing that I have noticed is how many men have stepped up on social media and personally to speak up against his statements about women.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Just indicating his comments were “locker room talk” seems to not only excuse it away but to also indicate that all men speak like this in locker rooms which is incredibly untrue. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Not to mention that men aren't the only people who use locker rooms. Women do too! Now I know that this may be different than the Miss Universe pageant change rooms Trump has bragged about frequenting so that would explain why he may be unclear. I am by no means inviting him in to take a look around but I can say one thing is for sure women aren’t talking this way either. It is safe to say he was speaking for himself and his comments go far beyond being considered “locker room talk”.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Everybody knows that when women aren’t around men communicate very differently to one another. I figured that out early when my family would get together during the holidays. The men would be in one area to relax after a meal and the women would be in another. I realized from that experience at a young age men change a bit. They joke around differently, they tease and criticize each other and sometimes they say things that are off side. They say things that maybe they shouldn’t because they are exaggerating for impact or speaking more freely than they normally do. Regardless, I know personally and profoundly that there is a huge percentage of men that love, respect and adore women. Trumps comments went too far. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the locker rooms I have been in, for the better part of 2 decades, men don’t treat women like that. When I was playing on the team most of my coaches were men and they have always been incredibly respectful to us as players. Now that I am often the only woman with my teams and the organizations I am apart of I realized something very very important in that once the coaches and players know as well as trust me they no longer see my gender as a huge barrier. So it isn’t that they are softening up due to me being there it’s because they truly don’t talk like that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Women are amazing! I have been told on more than one occasion by men that we are the reason and motivation for why they do so many things they do. If women weren’t around it would be an incredibly different world. Women make men better and it is true the other way around as well. We enhance their lives in so many ways and that is something to embrace as well as own. Our femininity transforms men and that is nothing to be upset about it is a gift. We play many diverse roles in their lives from mother, nurturer, lover, and sometimes we even have to hold them accountable by being the voice of reason when they might do something truly idiotic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I mentioned before I thought about this hot mic incident a lot this week and my thoughts weren’t all negative. I realize life isn’t perfect but we have come a long way in our journey. I saw how many of my coaching colleagues and friends spoke up and dismissed this behaviour as being unacceptable. They were truly offended to be painted with this type of brush. This signals to me that things are getting better. Many men do have our backs and they sincerely care. They look out for us in many ways and it has been men at nearly every turn that have helped guide, encourage, support and help in my coaching career consistently since I started out. I am not naive, I am sure there are dark and creepy corners where this Trump style of locker room talk still exists. However, maybe this incident has helped these men see they don’t want to sound like that anymore and that this kind of dialog is out of style now. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In closing, instead of seeing it as a fight for equality I look at it as a challenge to restore partnership. Men and women have amazing values that enhance each other. Yes these factors are equal in that they balance out but they are by no means the same. When I am coaching I don’t try to be a man. I can’t do the things that men can do but, they also can’t do what I can do either. I surround myself with great assistant coaches that help to ensure that balance exists on our coaching team. When I am the assistant I hope the other coaches feel like I bring something different and balance that table out as well. The point is that it sometimes isn’t about gender it is about owning who you are. Strong people lift others up. Strong people have each others' backs. Strong people unite one another. Gender has little to do with that and everything to do with supporting people and being the best version of yourself. Due to all of this I like the talk that goes on in all of the locker rooms I have been a part of and if I </span>didn't<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> I would certainly take steps to change it. I hope all of my players understand the value of all women and choose not to take this type of dinosaur view about life. </span></span></span></div>
Marla Gladstonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15344868383164172049noreply@blogger.com0