MESSAGE #1590 A POEM FOR COACHES AND PARENTS

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the coaches and parents out there.

One day as I was walking around my home town,
I saw a group of men tearing a building down.

With heave and a ho and a mighty yell,
they swung a huge steel ball and a tall building fell.

Impressed, I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled?
Should I hire them if I ever want to build?”

“Oh, no,” he laughed. “Oh no, indeed!
“They’re unskilled laborers—that’s all I need.

“These men can easily wreck in a day or two,
what it takes skilled builders many years to do.”

So I asked myself as I walked away,
which one of these roles do I want to play?

Do I want to be known as one who constantly tears down?
De-energizing others as I spread negativity around?

Or do I want to be known as one who skillfully builds up with care,
enthusiastically encouraging everyone whenever I’m there?

MESSAGE #1589 DON’T SAY DON’T

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DON’T THINK ABOUT A PINK ELEPHANT!

Did you just think about a pink elephant?

Of course you did. This happens because the brain doesn’t know the word “don’t.”

All the brain hears is “pink elephant.”

So if you are getting ready to do your gymnastics routine or drive the golf ball, avoid saying “Don’t mess up” or “Don’t hit it into the water” because you will probably mess up and hit it into the water. Instead, say something like “Focus on your routine” or “Aim for the center of the hole.”

Don’t look where you don’t want to go.

MESSAGE #1588 RED, YELLOW, GREEN

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When I work with athletes, I tell them to think about traffic lights.

Let me explain.

Say you’re a tennis player. During a point, the ball coming at you can make you either defensive, offensive, or neutral. A ball coming at you that is difficult or makes you defensive is a “red” ball. “Green” means you should be offensive and “yellow” means it is a neutral, medium or rally ball.

When you receive a “red” ball, you should hit a safe shot like a lob, high, deep to the middle of the court. If you receive a “green” ball, you should be aggressive and hit the ball for a winning shot or somewhere difficult for your opponent. A “yellow” ball means the ball coming at you is neither easy or difficult, so you should just hit it back to where it came from.

So you should not only recognize what situation you are in, but just as important, you need to make the appropriate decision what to do.

Many times athletes do not lose because they are not sound mechanically, but because they make bad choices.

Next time you are practicing or competing, CHOOSE WISELY.

MESSAGE #1587 ADJUSTMENTS

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Recently I was observing some gymnasts and one girl was working on flips with her coach. For some reason, she kept falling over to her left. The coach smartly put some pads on her left so she could try to avoid them. Well, she continued to fall to her left and knocked the pads over. As a consultant to the gymnastics academy, I asked if I could make a suggestion. I told the girl that oftentimes athletes only make minor adjustments, if any. I asked her to try the flip again, but this time, I stood on the right with my hands out. I said, “Okay, this time when you perform your flip, just make your legs hit my hands as you finish.

Guess what?

She landed perfectly.

This minor miracle occurred because when you make an extreme adjustment, oftentimes you find the middle.

Not a gymnast? You can still make adjustments in other sports, school, your job and in relationships.

Give it a try.

Ed Tseng
Mental Conditioning Coach

609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1586

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A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.
-Vince Lombardi

MESSAGE #1584 FAKE IT TIL YOU FEEL IT

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To be a great champion you must first believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.
-Muhammad Ali

MESSAGE #1583 HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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Dr. Bob Emmons is a great guy, and not just because he is a Yankee fan. Dr. Emmons, from UC Davis is the leading expert in the field of gratitude in positive psychology, and the author of the book, “Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier.”

When I was just dating my wife Sarah, her family invited me to their house on Thanksgiving and I accepted. I wanted to bring something nice, but not the typical wine or pie…something unique. So I called on Dr. Emmons for a gratitude quote and he delivered. I printed it on small strips of paper and laminated them for everyone–instant bookmarks. I read the quote to everyone out loud and the bookmarks were a hit! And now I’m sharing the quote with you. Enjoy.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
-Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ed Tseng
Peak Performance Consultant
Speaker, Author
609.558.1077