You Can Go as Far as Your Belief Will Take You

BELIEVE IN YOU!

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

It’s Gotta Come From Inside

You can lead a horse to water…

Can passion, enthusiasm, and desire be taught?  How about aggressiveness and confidence?  Can these traits be coached and developed?

Without some seed of inner motivation and desire… I don’t think so.

If you don’t want something as much as someone wants it for you, it’s probably not going to happen.

If you’re not self-motivated, it’s unlikely that anyone else will be able to motivate you.

You’ve got to believe in yourself before you can expect someone else to believe in you.

You’ve got to want to make it happen before someone else can help you make it happen.

Basically, there are two types of motivation that are important for achievement and success:

• Intrinsic motivation is important for any athlete.  The athlete who is intrinsically motivated is self-motivated because he or she loves the game.  The intrinsically motivated athlete wants to be there.  Coaching team sports can be much more effective when athletes are self-motivated.
• Achievement motivation is fueled by an athlete’s competitiveness.  All things being equal between two athletes, the one with greater achievement motivation will be the better athlete because of his or her “appetite” for competition.

Keep in mind, intrinsic and achievement motivation are not limited to athletic achievement and success.  Both apply to academics, career, and every other aspect of our lives.

Conversely, extrinsic motivation, as the name implies, come from “outside” and usually involves changing behavior through reinforcement and/or punishment.  I’ve come to believe that this is ineffective, especially long-term.  Reinforcement and punishment can be effective, but only if the individual on the receiving end is motivated.

• Positive reinforcement involves the use of rewards – praise, helmet decals, prizes, and awards – to increase the probability that a particular behavior will be repeated.
• Negative reinforcement also increases the probability that a behavior will be repeated, by removing an event that is perceived to be unappealing or undesirable.  For example, if a team has a productive practice, the coach could announce that no sprints will be run at the end of the session.
• Positive punishment describes an action that is presented after a behavior, that could decrease the behavior’s recurrence.  Reprimanding a basketball player after a turnover is an example of positive punishment.
• Negative punishment is the removal of something valued.  Loss of privileges or playing time (benching) are examples of negative punishment.

Carpe Diem! Believe in you! Push yourself! Make it happen!

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

5 Ways to be More Confident

I saw this recently on social media, and thought it was worth sharing.

Believe in you.

Be your best. Do your best. Give your best.

Work hard, stay positive, and good things will happen.

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

New Year, New and Improved You

No matter how good you are, everyone has room for improvement. How will you improve yourself in 2023? Here are a few thoughts:

Do Something

Challenge yourself to develop a new skill. Start a new project. If it’s making you better — taking you in a positive direction — continue and improve what you did in 2022. Commit yourself to self-improvement in some area. If you’re not satisfied with a certain area of your life, do something about it. Then, keep doing it… every day. The cumulative impact will be considerable.

Get Moving

Inactivity is the enemy of productivity. Get started. Take action. Move. Nothing will change until you get going. Beginning a new endeavor can seem daunting, but Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu reminds us, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

The best and brightest individuals in every field were once beginners. No one starts as an expert. The greatest accomplishments all have the same common denominator: At some point, someone was willing to take the first step toward greatness, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. American Author Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Be Confident

Believe in yourself. You have positive attributes. You have strengths and skills. Use positive self-talk as a motivator. Surround yourself with people who are positive and encouraging. Learn to view setbacks as nothing more than learning experiences — steps on the path to success. “Believe you can and you‘re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Risk New Things

You know the “definition” of insanity: “Doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results.” Take a chance. Be open-minded and adventurous. Step out of your comfort zone. Go out on a limb — that’s where the fruit is. Change can be scary, but it is a necessary component of progress. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” – Ben Franklin

Stick With It

Creating a better you won’t necessarily be easy. Some days will be better than others. There will probably be some obstacles and growing pains along the way. Be consistent and be persistent. Follow your plan and do something to move forward, every day, especially on the “low-motivation” days. Don’t give up, don’t give in.

Then, Be Ready for Big Surprises

You’re as good as you think you are, and as good as you want to be.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Be a Possibility Thinker

Are you a Possibility Thinker?

In his book, Hours of Power, Robert H. Schuller effectively describes the attributes and characteristics of a Possibility Thinker:

Possibility Thinkers look for — and often find — the good in virtually every situation, sometimes in the most unlikely places.

Possibility Thinkers look for reasons why something will work, visualizing ways in which it could work.

Possibility Thinkers explore every challenge to discover the positive opportunities that exist within.

Possibility Thinkers listen to new ideas; evaluate them thoughtfully; and recognize and seize opportunities.

Possibility Thinkers do not quit when faced with an obstacle.  They persist and persevere until they find a way over, around, or through.

Possibility Thinkers do not defend and rationalize mistakes, or make excuses for failures.

Possibility Thinkers are open to constructive criticism, sensible advice, and honest council.

Possibility Thinkers succeed because they have trained themselves to look for the positive possibilities in all areas of life.

Possibility Thinkers have faith, hope, confidence, enthusiasm, and optimism.

Possibility Thinkers are imaginative, creative, and visionary.

Possibility Thinkers are dreamers, opportunists, risk-takers, and believers.

Possibility Thinkers have a positive mental attitude; they are leaders and pioneers.

Be a Possibility Thinker?

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

The 3 H’s for Athletes

There are lots of qualities and characteristics that are important elements of athletic performance and achievement.  Ability, skill, and talent are, obviously, what every athlete aspires to develop.

But there are also intangible — effort-related — attributes that can improve any athlete’s performance.  Every team needs these athletes.  Persistent kids who work hard to get the most out of their talents and abilities.

Here are three of those attributes that will make any athlete hard to beat.

The 3 H’s for Athletes:

1. Hard Work.  Get in the weight room.  Improve your strength, speed, agility, and athleticism.  Practice your sport-specific skills.  Improve your ball-handling, hitting, skating, foot skills, or whatever your sport requires.  Have a plan and work smart.
2. Heart.  Believe in yourself.  Play with aggressiveness, confidence, and energy.  Hard work begets confidence.  Be confident, but not cocky.  Be positive, and have a “can-do” attitude.  Expect to succeed every time you’re on the field or court.
3. Hustle.  It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re the most talented player on the field or court.  Never allow yourself to be out-worked.  Whatever your 100% looks like, give it.

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

New Year, New and Improved You

No matter how good you are, everyone has room for improvement. How will you improve yourself in 2022? Here are a few thoughts:

Do Something

Challenge yourself to develop a new skill. Start a new project. If it’s making you better — taking you in a positive direction — continue and improve what you did in 2021. Commit yourself to self-improvement in some area. If you’re not satisfied with a certain area of your life, do something about it. Then, keep doing it… every day. The cumulative impact will be considerable.

Get Moving

Inactivity is the enemy of productivity. Get started. Take action. Move. Nothing will change until you get going. Beginning a new endeavor can seem daunting, but Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu reminds us, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

The best and brightest individuals in every field were once beginners. No one starts as an expert. The greatest accomplishments all have the same common denominator: At some point, someone was willing to take the first step toward greatness, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. American Author Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Be Confident

Believe in yourself. You have positive attributes. You have strengths and skills. Use positive self-talk as a motivator. Surround yourself with people who are positive and encouraging. Learn to view setbacks as nothing more than learning experiences — steps on the path to success. “Believe you can and you‘re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Risk New Things

You know the “definition” of insanity: “Doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results.” Take a chance. Be open-minded and adventurous. Step out of your comfort zone. Go out on a limb — that’s where the fruit is. Change can be scary, but it is a necessary component of progress. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” – Ben Franklin

Stick With It

Creating a better you won’t necessarily be easy. Some days will be better than others. There will probably be some obstacles and growing pains along the way. Be consistent and be persistent. Follow your plan and do something to move forward, every day, especially on the “low-motivation” days. Don’t give up, don’t give in.

Then, Be Ready for Big Surprises

You’re as good as you think you are, and as good as you want to be.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Basketball 101: The ABCs of Shooting

I’ve always been a big believer in defense, as it relates to team sports.  If you can limit your opponent’s scoring opportunities, you will always be in the game — you’ll always have a chance.

Conversely, I understand the importance of offense — you’ve got to shoot if you want to score, and you’ve got to score if you want to win.

Basketball shooting is built on repetition — quality repetition.  Great shooters understand that there are a few basic principles that guide their desire to become proficient.  Here are a few tips — ABCs, if you will — to consider as you prepare for your upcoming season:

Accuracy

You’ve got to be able to put the ball in the hoop.  Great shooters are accurate.  They don’t make all their shots, but their shots are always around the basket.  That means shooting with the proper release, rotation, and arc, for any given shot.  Technically correct form is a must.  If you practice with poor shooting mechanics, all you’ll succeed in doing is reinforcing poor shooting form.

Belief

If you’re going to be a great shooter, you’ll need an unwavering belief in yourself.  You’ve got to have confidence that borders on (but doesn’t manifest itself in) cockiness, and confidence leads to success.  You must want the ball in your hands, want to take the “big” shot, and believe in your ability to make it.

Consistency

As previously stated, release, rotation, and arc are important components of shooting.  The ball has got to come off your hand the same way — consistently — for any given shot.  It’s all about muscle-memory.  Once again, technically correct repetition is the key — doing it the same way, over and over again.

As long as we’re at it, there are a few “Ds” to throw into the mix: Dependability, Dedication, and Desire.  Great shooters are dependable, and can be counted on to produce, consistently.  Great shooters are also dedicated to self-improvement, and have a strong desire to be the best they can be.

To get the most out of your practice, make sure your shooting drills reflect game conditions and game speed.  As much as possible, you want to be able to simulate conditions similar to those you’ll encounter in competitive play.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

The Most Important Game Is Your Next Game

How did you play in your last game?  Did you play as well as you wanted?  Did you play as well as you expected?  Did you play as well as you are capable?

Maybe you played with aggressiveness, or maybe you weren’t aggressive enough.

Maybe you played with confidence, or maybe it was lacking.

Maybe you brought energy, or maybe it just wasn’t there.

Well, here’s the deal:  There’s nothing you can do to change your effort or your performance now.  The game is over.

The key is to analyze and understand your performance — what happened and why it happened — and use that analysis and understanding to gain a competitive advantage… to improve upon your last game.

If you played a great game, work on further improving and reinforcing the things you did well.

If you played a not-so-great game, don’t dwell on it — it’s over.  But make sure you learn from it, and do your best to apply what you learned to your next game.

Because now the only game that matters is your next game.  It’s the most important one, because it’s the next game you can impact.  You can’t play any of the games after the next game until you play the next one.  Do your best to make it what you want it to be.  Make it happen.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

New Year, New and Improved You

No matter how good you are, everyone has room for improvement. How will you improve yourself in 2021? Here are a few thoughts:

Do Something

Challenge yourself to develop a new skill. Start a new project. If it’s making you better — taking you in a positive direction — continue and improve what you did in 2020. Commit yourself to self-improvement in some area. If you’re not satisfied with a certain area of your life, do something about it. Then, keep doing it… every day. The cumulative impact will be considerable.

Get Moving

Inactivity is the enemy of productivity. Get started. Take action. Move. Nothing will change until you get going. Beginning a new endeavor can seem daunting, but Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu reminds us, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

The best and brightest individuals in every field were once beginners. No one starts as an expert. The greatest accomplishments all have the same common denominator: At some point, someone was willing to take the first step toward greatness, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. American Author Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Be Confident

Believe in yourself. You have positive attributes. You have strengths and skills. Use positive self-talk as a motivator. Surround yourself with people who are positive and encouraging. Learn to view setbacks as nothing more than learning experiences — steps on the path to success. “Believe you can and you‘re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Risk New Things

You know the “definition” of insanity: “Doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results.” Take a chance. Be open-minded and adventurous. Step out of your comfort zone. Go out on a limb — that’s where the fruit is. Change can be scary, but it is a necessary component of progress. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” – Ben Franklin

Stick With It

Creating a better you won’t necessarily be easy. Some days will be better than others. There will probably be some obstacles and growing pains along the way. Be persistent. Follow your plan and do something to move forward, every day, especially on the “low-motivation” days. Don’t give up, don’t give in.

Then Be Ready for Big Surprises

You’re as good as you think you are, and as good as you want to be.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.