MESSAGE #701 FOOOD!!!

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“Forget love, I’d rather fall in chocolate.”
-author unknown

If you know me, you know I love food. I love everything from a burger at the ball game to a fillet at the Ritz.

This past Thursday, I attended an amazing event at Mrs. G’s TV and Appliances in Lawrenceville, NJ. It was the 1st Annual Chef Challenge. Three of the area’s top chefs were there – Chef Eben Copple of The Yardley Inn, Chef Peter Nowakoski of Rat’s, and Chef Jason Hensle of Salt Creek Grill.

The food was great. Take my word for it. Each chef prepared a starter, a main course and a dessert. The judges ate, then the vultures, I mean, public ate. I voted for the eventual winner, Chef Eben Copple of The Yardley Inn. McCaffrey’s donated all of the ingredients and Salt Creek Grill provided wine. And it was free. This event was a benefit for The United Way.

Not only was this a great event for fun and food, but it was a brilliant marketing idea for Debbie Schaeffer and Mrs. G’s. The above photo is of Debbie with the winners and judges.

Last night, my inner chef came out as I made a whole wheat pizza, half plain and half broccoli/red onion. Okay, I was hungry so I cheated. I used a pre-made whole wheat dough, bought mozzarella, and opened a can of Don Pepino pizza sauce. As I was opening the can of sauce, I noticed that it said, “Fully prepared.”

All of the successful people in the world are fully prepared. Not to say things always go according to plan, but preparation certainly helps in sports and life. Debbie Schaeffer, Mrs. G’s and all of the volunteers certainly prepared. The result? A great event.

Today, I am playing mixed doubles with Debbie Schaeffer, Bob Weber and a player to be named later at Pretty Brook Country Club. I’m not sure what the teams will be, but you can bet that I’ll be fully prepared.
Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #700 YOU’RE A DOG…

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I remember when I posted Message #100. I was pretty excited. Well, this is Message #700 and I’m not very excited. Don’t get me wrong, I love updating my blog every day, but by no means do I feel that “I’ve made it.” 700 messages is a feat to some, but for me, it’s just part of the process. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Instead of looking at an end goal, I am focusing on the process and enjoying the journey. The photograph here is of my Boston Terrier, Babe Buckner (sorry Red Sox fans), and here is my message of the day…

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

-MARK TWAIN

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #699 YOU’RE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEARN…

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“Knowledge is power.”

Well, I wrapped up Week 1 of my summer tennis camp today.

The campers were on the younger side this week, with the youngest at 7 years old. But I didn’t change much with my lesson plan, not even with the mental training.

Many people think that seven is too young to talk about sports psychology, but I disagree.

I tell a lot of stories. Metaphorical stories with life lessons attached. I talk about how tennis can help you in other areas of life.

And they get it.

Not always, but they get it.

I had one boy this week who also attended my camp last year and remembered some of the stories.

Every day this week I had requests to tell stories with life lessons attached. It was great.

Probably none of the campers this week will go pro. They may not even play on their high school teams. But they will remember the stories. They will remember that tennis is not just about tennis.

It’s about life.

If you can focus, stay positive, go all out and perform under pressure on the tennis court, you can do the same in school, at work and at home.

How do sports help you in other areas of life?


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #698 CH-CH-CH-CHANGES…

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“I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.”
-GEORGE CARLIN

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Melissa Sapio.

The joke above is funny. But it is also true.

I have been teaching tennis for the past 15 years and I have seen a common theme…

People want to become better tennis players, so they pay $80/hour for a lesson. There’s nothing wrong with that. But here is the problem…

They think that the $80 will change their game.

The lesson is just the beginning. You have to take action. You have to put in the work. You have to practice between lessons.

We live in such a fast-paced society with high-speed internet, fast-food and instant oatmeal, and many of us tend to want overnight success.

Do you know how long it takes to become an overnight success?

10 years!

So if you want to become a great tennis player, be patient and put in the work. Take action and create the player you want to be.

I have a secret…

I’m not perfect.

I am making changes in my own life right now to set myself up for the future. I’m willing to sow seeds today to reap tomorrow’s harvest.

Are YOU?


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #697 SWING FOR THE FENCES!

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s”You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”
-WAYNE GRETSKY

At one point in his career, Babe Ruth hit more home runs in one season, than entire teams combined.

But he also struck out 1,330 times in his career.

Cy Young, holds the all-time pitching record for winning the most games: 511.

He also lost the most games: 313.

Thomas Edison was voted one of the greatest minds of the last century.

He also failed 10,000 times while trying to invent the light bulb.

What does this mean?

1. To be great, you have to be willing to fail.
2. You learn more from a loss than a win – it’s not failure, it’s feedback.
3. Big risk, big reward.
4. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
5. Go all out!

Whatever you do, whatever you are, be a great one!

Embrace pressure and failure – they are great teachers.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #696 YOGA FOR TENNIS AND LIFE…

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“In deep meditation the flow of concentration is continuous like the flow of oil.”
-PATANJALI, founder of Yoga philosophy

Tara Stiles is a yoga master and the founder of Strala Yoga in New York City. She is the resident expert and face of the Women’s Health Yoga Channel, and is a popular writer for the Huffington Post. She connects healthy approaches to exercise, awareness, food, and everyday feeling good with a wide audience around the world. Her work covers many aspects of yoga including basic how-to and preventive health care. Tara is recognized for her bold, fun and approachable style, breaking down ancient tradition and ideas into useful practices for everyone. Stiles’ teachings at Strala centers on building strength while helping people to live healthy and feel good.

Yesterday I spent some time with Tara and one of her yoga instructors, Mike.

I was excited to learn Tara’s philosophy on yoga and how it can help you in sports and life. In yoga, you will feel some pain, but you work through it. And you feel good. Then, when you feel some pain in other areas of life, you tend to work through that, too.

One of the keys to peak performance in sports is to stay in the present, by focusing on your breathing. Deep breathing. This can be found in yoga.

In yoga, as in sports, physical skills take a while to develop, but with hard work, you can get to a high level. But the benefits of yoga can instantly make you feel better by giving you more energy and make you feel healthier and stronger. In fact, Strala Yoga’s motto is “Live healthy. Feel good.”

I asked Tara to give me her top 5 benefits of yoga for athletes. Here’s what she said…

1. Breathing – yoga forces you to breathe longer, more fully and harder. This will help your body be more efficient.
2. Strength training – you will build more strength by building the main muscles in your sport and ones you don’t use as frequently.
3. Focus – by focusing on technique and breathing, yoga helps your focus on the court and on the field too.
4. Recovery/Injury prevention – much of yoga is stretching, so it is great for pre/post competition as well as injury prevention. It releases tension from tight areas and bring them back to their natural state.
5. Balance – the more balanced you are, the better you move, hit, throw and shoot. It will also give you more control and power.

So try some yoga to help you in sports. Better yet, stop by Strala Yoga in the city and take a class with Tara or Mike: http://www.stralayoga.com/

“Tara Stiles has got to be the coolest yoga instructor ever.”
-VANITY FAIR


Thank you to Tara Stiles and thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #695 SUMMER CAMP!

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Tennis is not a matter of life and death – it’s much more important than that.

-ED TSENG

Well, today is the first day of summer tennis camp for me. I only have a few students signed up for the first week, which is typical. And the courts are wet. But I’m psyched! And nervous.

Obviously I want to have the courts filled and the sun out, but you know what, it’s okay if that doesn’t happen.

If I only had one camper, I would be excited. Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t feed one hundred people, just feed one.” My assistants and I know that it’s not just about “feeding balls,” but about helping students learn a skill, get fit, learn discipline and positive thinking…and have fun! I incorporate life lessons and sportspersonship/teamwork into the tennis. How many of my students will go pro? Not many. But they can all use the lessons learned to become better students, romantic partners, employees, family members and people.

And if the courts stay wet? Big deal. I am prepared with fitness/nutrition, videos, and a mental training program. It forces me to perform under pressure and get a little creative. And it helps me become stronger and better at what I do.

Hmm, sounds a bit like tennis.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #694 THE F WORD…

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How do you feel about the F word?

Some people like it, others hate it.

Of course, I’m talking about…

FEAR.

What are you fearful of?

Change?
Losing?
Other people’s opinions?
Lack of income?

How you see fear is how you will perform. Do you let fear motivate you, or do you let fear break you?

Does it irritate you, or does it intrigue you?

It’s okay to feel afraid, just don’t look it.

Winners and losers feel the same feelings, they just take different action.

Happy Father’s Day to my father, Vincent Tseng, a real winner.

MESSAGE #693 A GRATEFUL LUNCH…

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“Gratitude gives athletes calm energy.”
-BOB EMMONS, Ph.D., author of “Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier”

This weekend is the First World Congress on Positive Psychology in Philadelphia. Most of the big players are in town – Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ed Diener, Barbara Fredrickson, Bob Emmons and many more.

One of my top character strengths is gratitude and Bob Emmons is the authority on gratitude in positive psychology from UC Davis. I caught up with Bob over lunch yesterday in Philadelphia.

Mr. Emmons and I had some great conversations about his work, my work, the Yankees, and positive psychology in sports.

Emmons shared a comment that the Dalai Lama once made, when asked if there was a such thing as “bad” happiness.

“There is something called ‘stupid happiness’ – that’s when a bear is chasing you and you are happy.”

I guess you can say that it is also when you are not getting any better at tennis and you are happy. Or you are not doing what you love and are happy.

The point is, no matter what your past or current situation, or your material wants, you can be happy now. It’s a choice. But you have to be happy about the right things. Appreciate all of the big and little things in your life. Be fully present in everything you do.

One of the things that has changed my life is my daily incorporation of gratitude. I no longer need or want material things to make me happy. All of my happiness is already inside me. And all around me. I’m enjoying every day instead of looking to my next vacation or the weekend. Am I happy when things go wrong? Of course not, but I accept them, learn, and move on.

I asked Dr. Emmons to give me one tip that athletes can use to improve their performance, using gratitude.

He said that sometimes it’s good to focus on the bad, or past poor performances. Losses don’t last very long, so don’t worry about if you do lose. Say you lose a match. You’ve lived through other losses, and you’ll live through this one, too. You should think that there’s nothing you can’t handle. If you lose a point, it’s okay, just focus on the next one. Be grateful for just being able to compete, win or lose. When you are in this state, you play with a relaxed focus. When you play with a relaxed focus, you win more.

For more tips on how to incorporate gratitude in your life, checkout Dr. Emmons’ great book, “Thanks!”- you’ll be grateful you did… http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Science-Gratitude-Make-Happier/dp/0618620192


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #692

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“I’m going to be throwing as hard as ever – the ball just won’t get there as fast.”
-BOB FELLER, 90 years old, on starting in the Hall of Fame Game at Cooperstown this Sunday