Today I was coaching some high school tennis players. I talked about how their perception was more important than what happens to them. Bad line calls, the weather, spectators, loud noises and other distractions are inevitable, but very often winning and losing is determined by our perspective. I then had them stare at a disk […]
Recently, I put this quote on my facebook wall: ”Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.” -LAO TZU It was very well-received, but what does it mean? As an athlete, we have many potential external distractions. Common ones include: spectators, coaches, parents, friends, weather, fans, media, etc. If we care what everyone […]
“Never hurry when it counts.” -JOANNE CARNER When things are not going your way, time goes by very quickly. When things are going your way, time goes by very slowly. The greatest athletes in the world slow the game down to their speed. How do they do it? 1. They focus on taking deep diaphragmatic […]
“All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street folks will say, ‘There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.’ ” -TED WILLIAMS What do you want to be said about you?
Gandhi said: “Full effort is full victory.” What does this mean? Here’s how I see it: 1. Go all-out. 2. Focus more on your effort. 3. Focus less on your results. 4. Most people don’t give it their all. 5. When you focus on the “process,” (effort) you get the “product” (winning) that you want.
In 2008, during the Rome Masters, Andy Roddick was the #1 seed. He had match point and was about to win. The umpire called his opponent’s second serve out, resulting in a double-fault. Roddick had won the match. As Roddick walked up to the net to shake his opponent’s hand, he noticed a mark on […]
The other day I was coaching on a court next to another pro. This pro used to be a top junior and collegiate player, so he obviously can play the game. But just because someone can play doesn’t mean they can coach, does it? In education, there are many intelligent individuals, but does that mean […]
I have a special talent. I can predict who will win a sporting event 100% of the time. Here is my Super Bowl prediction: The team that will win the Super Bowl tonight is… The team that plays best. The Green Bay Packers are the favorites, but not by much. So the game is up […]
The difference between winning and losing is between your ears.
Let’s face it, most people play a reactionary game. When they play well, they react positively. When they play poorly, they react negatively. The champions create how they play. Here’s a great exercise to help you play your best game more often: 1. Think of a past great performance. 2. On an index card, write […]