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.

When the Going Gets Tough…

You’re going to encounter some adversity.  You’re going to experience some hardship.  Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but it’s inevitable.

Recently, I’ve had some challenging (and enlightening) discussions with a few student-athletes that reminded me of Aesop’s “The Fox and the Grapes” fable:

     One afternoon a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from over a lofty branch.

     “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” quoth he.

     Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them but still failed.

     Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” and proceeded to walk away.

The moral of the story: It’s easy to despise what you cannot have.

When faced with adversity in their sport of choice, there are some kids (and, perhaps, parents) who apparently feel that it’s better/easier to give up than continue working to improve.  I hear comments used to justify quitting, like, “There are more important things in life than sports,” and “It’s not like I’m going to be a professional athlete.”

Of course there are more important things in life than sports — and very few of us will become professional athletes, but that doesn’t mean sports aren’t important.  Using that argument, you can rationalize any shortcoming.

You can make a case that there are also more important things in life than school — studying, doing homework, getting good grades, ACT scores, etc.

I suppose there’s also more to life than working — learning a craft, managing some aspect of a business, earning money, etc.

At any given time, you can add just about anything to to the “there’s more to life” list: faith, friends, family, and any other obligation/responsibility — or choice — you care to name.

I find it ironic that you rarely hear these types of comments from people who are committed to succeeding.  Certainly, they also know that whatever they’re doing is not necessarily the defining aspect of their lives.

What these folks have learned is that success is not only about the end result.  True success is also about the process.  It’s about learning and practicing and working through adversity.

What do you do when the going gets tough? Do you rationalize failure or do you strengthen your resolve and work harder?

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.

One Day at a Time (Today is the Day)

What do you want to accomplish?  What are your dreams; your goals; your aspirations?

You can’t do anything with yesterday.  It’s gone.

You can’t do anything with tomorrow.  It’s not here yet. (although today’s choices can impact tomorrow)

Today’s the day.  Today, it is within your power to work toward your objectives.  Today, you can do something to move closer to your goals.  Today, you can take another step forward in pursuit of your dreams.

But you only have today…

Take it one day at a time.  Understand that you can’t “do” one week in a day.  Aim for incremental change.  Over time, the cumulative impact will be considerable.  Make today count.  Make today what it can be, to the best of your ability.

Be patient.  Today won’t be perfect.  You can’t control everything, but you must be committed to do your best to impact what is under your control.  Try not to allow outside influences to upset and distract you.

Be persistent.  Don’t give up.  Setbacks are inevitable — and often temporary, and can be used as valuable learning experiences.  Keep moving forward — over, around, and through.  Slow progress is better than no progress.

Be realistic.  We all have limitations.  Be honest with yourself and recognize the difference between “can’t” and “won’t.”

Challenge yourself.  If you’re doing something you already know you can do, you’re not really challenging yourself.  Push yourself.  Raise your personal “bar.”

Believe in yourself.  Have faith in the power of you.

What will you do with today?

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.

16 Characteristics for Success

ALWAYS Compete!

Do EVERYTHING to the best of YOUR ability!

Practice is EVERYTHING — How we practice defines who we are.

Always protect the TEAM

No Whining, No Complaining, No Excuses!

If you’re 5 minutes early, YOU’RE LATE!

16 CHARACTERISTICS FOR SUCCESS:

1. Make a commitment
2. Be unselfish
3. Create unity — come together as never before
4. Improve every day as a player, person, and student
5. Be tough
6. Be self-disciplined — do it right, don’t accept less
7. Give your best effort in everything you do
8. Be enthusiastic
9. Eliminate mistakes — don’t beat yourself
10. Never give up
11. Don’t accept losing
12. Permit no self-limitations — expect more of yourself
13. Expect to win
14. Be consistent
15. Develop leadership
16. Be responsible

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.

The Power of Action

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they do not quit.” – Conrad Hilton

What do you want to accomplish?

Maybe it’s sport-related.  Perhaps you want to improve your strength, speed, agility, and/or athleticism.  Or, maybe it’s something even more sport-specific, like your shooting percentage or batting average.  Or, it could be that you aspire — quite simply — to make the team.

Maybe it’s school-related.  Your goal could be to improve your grade point average or perform better in a particular class or course, or the next time you take the ACT or SAT.

Work-related goals are important, too — promotions, increases in pay, and performance improvement, among others.

Ultimately, some of our goals involve interpersonal communication and relationships.  We seek to improve upon our relationships with family, relatives, and friends.

Regardless of what you want to accomplish, develop a plan of action and take the first step toward your goal today.  Make sure your action is purposeful — not random or arbitrary — and do something that moves you along the path toward your goal, right now.

Then, no matter how effective your first action step was in moving you toward your goal, keep moving.  If appropriate, repeat the first step.  If necessary, take the next step.  Just don’t stop.

You may surprise yourself by how much you can accomplish by just “inching” toward your goal, with steadiness and consistency.  It’s amazing what can be accomplished if you’re persistent and keep moving forward.

Action is empowering.  It’s invigorating.  It’s gratifying.

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.

Your Failures are Behind You — Move on

“What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” – Dean Smith

At some point, we’ve all experienced failure.  None of us succeed at everything we do, all the time.

And one of the major obstacles to success — one of our biggest fears in life — is fear of failure. It’s the main reason that prevents us from realizing our full potential and achieving our goals. Fear of failure paralyzes us, limits us to our comfort zones, prevents us from moving forward in life, and hinders our chances of success.

Face it… defeat is a bitter pill.  There aren’t too many things that make us feel worse than facing failure. Failure often leaves us feeling bitter, miserable, and depressed.

It’s easy to see why most people are afraid of failing. We prefer to play it safe by remaining in our comfort zones and avoiding any risks. But playing it safe can also be detrimental. It takes us out of the game. When we choose to forgo potential opportunities and push ourselves into mediocrity, we restrict ourselves, preventing us from realizing our full potential.

Failure is a matter of perspective. We tend to think of failure as the opposite of success. But failures are actually the stepping-stones of success. Nothing worthwhile in life has ever been achieved without a series of failures.

We learn by trial and error.  Experience — the rewards and consequences of our actions — is the ultimate teacher, and our mistakes are a considerable part of that equation.

Successful people make mistakes… they fail.  But they don’t give up. Instead they stay the course. They overcome their fear of failure and are quick to learn from their mistakes.

There’s an endless list of examples of people who, despite facing defeat, did not give up on their dreams. They succeeded in overcoming their fear of failure.  Failure did not keep people like Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, and Abraham Lincoln from achieving their goals and becoming extraordinarily successful.

Overcoming our fear of failure is a necessary step toward the achievement of our goals. Successful people are not the most intelligent, most talented, or blessed.  They are just ordinary people who view failures as temporary setbacks on the road to success. They are successful because they have developed the ability and willingness to learn from their mistakes, move out of their comfort zones, and take calculated risks.

Don’t allow fear of failure to prevent you from working toward your goals. The “secret” to success is not avoiding failure, it’s having the persistence and perseverance to overcome failure, learn from your failures, and use that learning to improve yourself.

“Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.” – Mia Hamm

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.

There Are No Secrets to Success

“Don’t look for secrets when studying the best. Look at the basics. Look at what they do every day. Success often lies there.” – Buzz Williams

What we often see, when observing excellence in athletic performance (or any other endeavor), is just the result — the “tip of the iceberg.”  What we don’t see are the days, months, and years of hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice that contributed to the success.

Success is the result of consistency.  It lies in the mundane, not the magical.

Success requires getting the basics right.  It’s foundation is sound and solid.

Success is built on not only action, but attitude.  It is fed by passion, enthusiasm, and desire.

The path to success is not devoid of obstacles; but the realization that each setback is a learning opportunity that brings us one step closer to success.

Success is planning your work, and working your plan, every day.

There are no secrets.  Be your best, do your best, give your best, and strive to improve you, TODAY.  Then do it again tomorrow.

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.