MESSAGE #552 A LESSON FROM FOOTBALL…

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Procrastination can keep you from attaining your goals. Since today is Super Bowl Sunday, I’d like to tell you my favorite football story…

All the animals were gathered ’round for a game of football. The large animals were on the same team, like the elephants, lions, bears, etc., and all of the small animals, like the rabbits, squirrels and insects, were on the opposing team. Well, the large animals kicked off and the small animals were stopped on their 20-yard line. On the first play, there was a hand-off to the rabbit and he got stopped at the line of scrimmage. The next play, the squirrel, (quarterback) got sacked for a loss of five yards. This continued and after the first quarter, the score was, 21-0, in favor of the large animals. At the half, the score was 35-0.

The small animals kicked off to start the second half and the tiger caught the ball and was stopped at the 15-yard line. On the first play, there was a hand-off to the jaguar and he was stopped at the line of scrimmage. After that, the quarterback was sacked for a loss of three yards. Then, there was another hand-off and the cougar was tackled for only a gain of one yard. He looked down and saw a centipede smiling up at him. “Did you just tackle me?!” The centipede happily replied, “Yup, I tackled the jaguar and quarterback too!”

So the small animal team was excited and on a roll. The rabbit ran up to the centipede and said, “Great job, but where were you in the first half?!”

The centipede replied, “I was tying my shoes.”

Don’t wait, be great today.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #551 SPORTS QUIPS AND QUOTES…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Dan Horowitz.

“Being a champion is all well and good, but you can’t eat a crown.”
-ALTHEA GIBSON, after retiring from tennis

“I used to play golf with a guy who cheated so badly that he once had a hole in one and wrote down zero on the scorecard.”
-BOB BRUCE

“The only way I can make five As is when I sign my name.”
-ALAA ABDELNABY, on his academic career at Duke

“When you’re as great as I am, it’s hard to be humble.”
-MUHAMMAD ALI

“It took me 17 years to get 3,000 hits. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.”
-HANK AARON

“Blind people came to the park just to listen to him pitch.”
-REGGIE JACKSON, on Tom Seaver

“Cobb lived off the field as though he wished to live forever. He lived on the field as though it was his last day.”
-BRANCH RICKEY, on Ty Cobb

“He’s so good, I even worry about him in winter.”
-TED WILLIAMS, on Bob Lemon

“Franco Harris faked me out so bad one time that I got a 15-yard penalty for grabbing my own face mask.”
-D.D. LEWIS

“She’s like the old Green Bay Packers. You know exactly what she’s going to do, but there isn’t a thing you can do about it.”
-ARTHUR ASHE, on Martina Navratilova

“A hotel operator called and said I had been indicted. I panicked and said, ‘For what?'”
-JOHN MACKEY, on how he found out about being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame

“We’re more aggressive, more mobile, and more smarter.”
-GREG LLOYD, Steelers’ linebacker, on why the Steelers had better linebackers than the Bears

From 2,000 Sports Quips and Quotes by Glenn Liebman.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #550 THE UNCONTROLLABLES…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Alex Gonzalez in Ohio.

“By anticipating the impact of the uncontrollables on your competition, you can use them as a confidence booster.”
-DR. ALAN GOLDBERG, noted sports psychologist

Let me explain…

There are some things you can control in sports and there are some things you cannot control. Focus on the things you can control, but be prepared for the things you cannot.

You cannot control the weather.
You cannot control what your opponent does.
You cannot control the umpires.

Many of you will have high school and middle school sports tryouts in early March. And many of you are currently training indoors in preparation. But guess what? Your tryouts are going to be OUTDOORS. Here’s how you can use it to your advantage…

Before tryouts, start training and practicing outdoors. When you do this, it will be more familiar and comfortable when you do go outdoors. Most people will be complaining about the weather and performing poorly. You will feel right at home and perform at a high level.

It’s good to train hard. It’s better to train smart.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #549 GREAT JOB, BESSIE…

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I read something interesting the other day. In a study done at Newcastle University, researchers found that cows produce more milk if they are given names. When more of a personal touch is used by the care-takers, the cattle could produce up to 500 more pints of milk per year.

So if you’re in sales, or a boss, teacher, coach, romantic partner or teammate, try giving a more personal touch to others. If people feel more like a person than a number, they are more likely to give more and get better results. Use people’s names. Compliment them. People will reach their potential quicker if positive reinforcement is used instead of negative reinforcement. Below are two examples:

Good: “Pam, I really liked the way you stayed focused even towards the end of practice when you were tired.”

Bad: “That’s the fifth ball you hit into the net! Go run five laps!”

Treat people better and they will perform better.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #548 YOU CAN DO IT!

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all of you that have made getting fit your New Year’s Resolution…and are thinking about giving up.

One of the perks of my job is that I meet some amazing people. Some inspiring people. Real life heroes and she-roes.

Paul Stuart Wichansky is one of those heroes. He recently attained his goal of 10,000 abdominal crunches this month.

I asked Paul how he did it.

“During the summer and fall, I was exercising my abs at the gym sort of as another muscle group, nothing special. The gym was closed on Christmas Day, then I started a goal on December 26th. It was a rather ambitious one for me, and I wasn’t yet sure how long I could stay on track, but I surrounded myself with people at the gym who encouraged me. One of these gym members was Lou Nespoli, a varsity wrestler at a local high school, and I was inspired by his dedication, commitment, and level of generosity and compassion. We motivated each other.

I started small, about 400 reps. I would post the cumulative total on my profile, below my picture on facebook. I didn’t get many responses, but just stayed focused and determined. When I’m at the gym, I feel like there’s an invisible hero, ‘Dr. Paul’ standing there next to me as I am working out…inspiring and motivating me to raise the bar. This ‘Dr. Paul’ is everything I want to be, and helps me to stay focused and do some “hard work” to get me from the person that I am (reality) to the invisible dream hero standing next to me (dream).”

I like the fact that Paul surrounded himself with great people. Like-minded people to hold one another accountable. And I liked how he posted his totals to the public, so he was more likely to stick to it and reach his goal. Many of us have an inner-critic, but Dr. Wichansky had an inner-coach, hero, “Dr. Paul.” We all need to pick ourselves up instead of putting ourselves down. And don’t forget we need to work hard.

10,000 ab crunches in one month is an amazing feat, but I wasn’t totally honest with you. That isn’t the reason why Paul is one of my heroes.

The reason why Paul Stuart Wichansky is one of my heroes is because he is one of the top motivational speakers in the world…and he has cerebral palsy. He has trouble walking and hearing but he still goes after his dreams. So if he can become successful with a disability, imagine what YOU can do?!


Thanks for reading.

For more on Paul, go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3197648/bio

MESSAGE #547 TODAY IS THE PRESENT…

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Photos from Tocoloshi Zim’s recent trip to Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Gia Bocra Liwski.

Anyone can perform at a high level if they are “in the zone,” but it’s the great ones that can put themselves in the zone more often. And although they can not avoid slumps, they can certainly shorten their duration.

Most slumps occur because the performer (athlete, musician, actor/actress, student, employee, etc) focuses on the wrong thing at the wrong time. In most peak performances, there is very little self-talk. During a slump, on the other hand, there is much internal dialog occurring.

“I can’t believe I lost the first set!”

“What if I lose this match?!”

The problem is that during a slump, the performer is focusing on either the past or the future.

Staying in the present is one of the keys to peak performance. Concentrate on how you can do something instead of if you can.

“Guilt is in the past. Anxiety is in the future. The power is in the present.”-author unknown

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #546 WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Sergeant Longo of the Lawrence Township Police Department.

Can you control what happens to you?
Can you control what your opponent does?
Can you control what the weather is like?
Can you control what your co-workers do?

NO…so why worry about it?

Focus on what you CAN control, like your attitude and effort.

“It’s not what’s happening TO you, it’s all about what’s happening INSIDE you. If you want to be as good as the Williams sisters, all you have to do is train like they train. Greatness is already inside you.”
-BOB RYLAND, the first black professional tennis player

Happy Chinese New Year!


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #545 YOUR THOUGHTS…

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“If we are not responsible for the thoughts that pass our doors, we are at least responsible for those we admit and entertain.”
-CHARLES B. NEWCOMB

MESSAGE #544 A MOVIE STAR?!#

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Amy Morse.

Do you know what mental cross-training is?

Yesterday I had an audition for the new Pixar movie, Avatar: The Last Airbender. My friend and agent, Eileen DeNoble signed me up for the part. My schedule allowed it, and I thought it might be interesting to pursue, so off I went to Philadelphia.

As I was sitting there among all the professional actors and actresses, many of whom knew each other, I felt in another world. What was I doing here? How does this all work? I didn’t have my headshot and resume in hand. And even though it is an animated film, I was still nervous. Very nervous.

I went in, read my two lines and I was done. The casting director said, “Good.” What exactly does that mean? I guess we will see.

Whether I get the part or not does not matter. At the very least, it was mental cross-training. Many athletes play different sports or workout at the gym as cross-training because it helps hone their skills in their sport and forces them to use different muscles.

You have never heard of mental cross-training? That’s because most people don’t do it. If you tend to be nervous before a tennis match, go give a talk in front of your class or co-workers. If you can overcome nervousness in one situation, you can overcome nervousness in the other. That’s mental cross-training. It may not be comfortable, but do you want to be comfortable, or do you want to be great?

To improve physically, you have to stretch your muscles and put them under stress.

To improve mentally, you have to stretch your mental muscles and put them under stress.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #543 ARTHUR ASHE’S HERO AT ARTHUR ASHE’S PLACE…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the student-athletes, coaches, staff and parents at Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education in Philadelphia.

So yesterday I gave a talk with the great Bob Ryland at Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education. We started at the nearby NBC studios with a live segment on the 4pm news. From there, we drove back to AAYTE for interviews with Brad Nau of Comcast SportsNet and then, Johannah Bennett brought some kids over for a meet and greet session and another interview. KYW radio also stopped Bob on the way up to our talk for some brief words.

Bob began talking about his life and the lessons he has learned. We have all read about blacks and segregation and tennis in the history books, but last night, about 80 people in Philadelphia heard it live from someone who lived through it. I have heard his story many times and it never fails to amaze me.

There were three television stations there, some newspapers and photographers, as well. Bob and I talked about the mental side of tennis and life. I asked him if he was nervous, and he replied, “I’m nervous all the time.” So if a living legend can be nervous, it’s okay for you to be nervous, just don’t show it.

Character was one of the topics we talked about, being a good person. Working hard. Listening. Mr. Ryland went through hell, but he still has character. A lot of character. It’s a major commitment for an 88 year old man to drive from New York City to Philadelphia, but he did it to talk to the kids. To make a difference. He’s leaving a legacy. Mr. Ryland was handed an honorarium check from Eric Dolaway, program director, for his time and travel. Guess what?

He handed it back and said, “Use if for the kids and your program.”

That’s character.
Thanks for reading.