Lombardi time: If you don’t show up 15 minutes early to a meeting, practice or appointment you are considered late. Coaches and leaders love Lombardi time. Personally, I’m not a fan. Time is the most valuable asset humans possess. We can make more money. We can’t make more time. Forcing someone to be early for […]
Have you observed how often we fall into patterns? The foods we consume, the exercise routine, the route we take to work– all become autopilot. More concerning is our interactions with other humans, the media we consume and thoughts we allow in our mind. Most people see routines as a positive thing. I do as […]
A longtime baseball scout was attending a banquet when a baseball lifer approached him. This person played professionally, managed, and dabbled in the front office. Tough and rugged- the man had a reputation as being abrasive, passionate and honest. On this particular night, the ex-skipper cornered the scout and asked him when his organization was going […]
I’m just a small school baseball coach. It’s scary, I’ve used that sentence on way too many occasions. There have been times where I have said these words to others; however, my most frequent use is through self-talk. Have you used limiting phrases like this? Have you ever put yourself in a self-imposed box? Why?I’ve wrestled with why […]
Scott O’Neil is the former CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment. He was a guest on Ryan Hawks, The Learning Leader Podcast (episode #419). O’Neil introduced me to an acronym I love: WMI- What’s Most Important. It’s easy to be distracted: phones, computers, social media, Netflix- just to name a few. Equally challenging are the demands placed on […]
On October 29, 2007 I wrote: “I am going to be the head coach of a Division I national championship team by the time I am 43 years old.” I will turn 43 in September. Mississippi State celebrated the D1 title on Thursday night….this goal is not going to happen. I began journaling and goal […]
I’m grappling with the idea of working hard vs. working smart. My current wrestling match began observing how training in sport has dramatically changed. Most of this change has been positive- it’s hard to argue that athletes are not bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled than their counterparts from 20, 50, and 100 years ago. […]
“When the student is ready the teacher will appear” Recently, I was in pursuit of a theme/message to share with our team. The idea of positive self-talk appeared in multiple ways. Here are three short examples:Example 1: Novak Djokovic after his French Open victory over Rafael Nadal“There’s always two voices inside: There is one telling you […]
Eventually I Will be Fired and I’m O.K. with It I’ve come to grips with the fact that at some point in my professional career I’ll either be fired or forced to resign. It is a freeing feeling to come to this conclusion and accept it. Please let me explain. In the coaching profession, there are a […]