MESSAGE #1032 ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

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I recently started working with a high school tennis player who had low self-esteem and negativity issues.

His father called me to ask if I could work with his son to overcome his challenges.

Well, I did one long session with him and then gave him some homework.

I saw him a week later and I immediately noticed that his body language and attitude was completely different.

I said, “How’s it going?”

He replied, “Great! I am not negative anymore.”

I was skeptical.

I found out that he lost a couple matches during the week, but was extremely happy with his attitude.  He was a new person, and he had a winning mindset. He wasn’t perfect, but this was a great start, nonetheless.

I was extremely proud of him.

What did I give him?

HOPE.

Hold On Possibilities Exist.

What’s the point?

Mental skills are just like physical skills – they are trainable.

This young man is striving to become a little bit better every day, and I am confident that as our coaching sessions continue, he will eventually become the player, and person he wants to be.

Afterall, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

“The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”

MESSAGE #1031 FOUR WORDS…

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DON’T QUIT, CAN’T FAIL

 

MESSAGE #1026 YESTERDAY I MET MY CHILDHOOD HERO

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Today is Message #1026 (my birthday: October 26) and my lucky number. In fact, if you have spent some time with me, you know that I even have a #26 necklace that I always wear (it was my baseball number too), and all around my house I have different items with 26 on it from a street sign to old license plates to mahjong tiles.

Why the number twenty-six, you ask?

When I was younger, my hero was pitcher, Dwight Gooden (Dr. K) of the New York Mets. He was #16 and I had all of his baseball cards, doubles, and in some instances, triples of each. One day I flipped one of his cards over and noticed that his birthday was November 16 and instantly saw why his jersey number was the same. Well, from then on, my number was 26.

In addition to all of his baseball cards, I had Dwight Gooden posters, photos and magazine cutouts. I even tried to duplicate his pitching motion.

Well last night, I spent some time with Dwight Gooden at Yankee Stadium.

Wow.

It was unbelievable. He even signed a ball to me.

I asked Doc, “What was the secret to your success?”

Without hesitation, my childhood hero replied, “Hard work.”

He didn’t say, “Talent” or “Natural Ability.”

There is a phenomenon called the “Iceberg Effect.” When we see a Dwight Gooden, we only see his out-of-this-world skills (tip of the iceberg). What we don’t see is the hard work and 10,000 hours he put in to getting to that point.

Everyone wants to be an overnight success, but do you know how long it takes to become an overnight success?

Ten years.

Thank you, Mr. Gooden for continuing to be an inspiration to me and a special Happy Birthday to Coach Anthony Carter and high school tennis player, Kevin Roveda.

MESSAGE #1025 BE A BLACK SWAN

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A BLACK SWAN is “the existence and occurrence of high-impact, hard-to-predict, and rare events that are beyond the realm of normal expectations.” (Wikipedia)

Roger Banister breaking the four-minute mile was a BLACK SWAN event.

David beating Goliath was a BLACK SWAN event.

Ed Tseng failing out of Rider College twice and then going back to speak (twice) at their Leadership Day was a BLACK SWAN event.

BLACK SWAN events happen all the time in sports and life. The fastest horse doesn’t always win the race. The students with the best grades don’t always become successful.

So why then, do so many people count themselves out before the competition begins?

Why do people think that success is only for the lucky few?

What you believe, you achieve.

Be a BLACK SWAN.

*CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GREAT JOEY CLAWSON, SPECIAL OLYMPICS GOLD MEDALIST, WHO GRADUATES FROM THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY TODAY. WAY TO GO, JOE!*

MESSAGE #1023 HOW TO WIN MORE

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IMAGINE THIS…

You are playing a match. The score is 30-30, 5-5 in the final set. Your return is nice and deep which forces your opponent to hit a weak shot. You hit a nice deep approach shot, follow it to net and get a high floating ball to your forehand side. You hit it, it hits the top of the net and you lose the point.

How do you react?

Most players would react negatively with their body language, self-talk or hit their racquet on the ground.

This works to your opponent’s advantage because…

1. You will boost their confidence.
2. By reacting negatively, you actually produce different hormones in your body and create muscle tension (which makes you play poorly).
3. You will decrease your chances of winning the match.

I have worked with some high level players and most of them play unbelievable when they are “on” but when they start losing, their games and body language deteriorate.

This is fairly normal.

Do you want to be normal or do you want to be great?

Act as if it were impossible to fail. -DOROTHEA BRANDE

MESSAGE #1022 INTERVIEW WITH NEHA UBEROI

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In this video blog, Ed Tseng interviews former professional tennis player, Neha Uberoi, as they talk about her toughest opponent, mental toughness and Princeton University.

MESSAGE #1017 EAT THIS!

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the coolest yoga instructor on the planet, Tara Stiles. Happy Birthday!

As promised, here are the Top 10 Flat Belly Foods to get you ready for beach weather…

1. Guacamole! Try this recipe: mash one ripe avocado and add diced red onion, cilantro, loads of lime juice, a little salt and fresh pepper and a squeeze of a Thai chili sauce called China Blue (you can get it at many big chain grocery stores). A chip is really just a vehicle for guac anyway, so use raw veggies instead to save calories (Try fennel and crisp romaine boats).

2. Salad with real vinaigrette Try experimenting with different vinegars and add a tablespoon of a healthy oil like olive, walnut or canola. Season with salt, pepper, mustard and a minced garlic clove.

3. Lean chicken breast with a “crust” Most crusty coatings have a lot of butter, white flour and breadcrumbs. Try egg whites and crushed almonds.

4. PB & J Just apply the cardinal rule of healthy eating: whole grain bread and natural (read: less sugar) peanut butter and fruit spread rather than jam (make sure it’s free of high-fructose corn syrup). For a healthy Elvis-y twist, spritz with a little non-fat cooking spray and grill.

5. Mixed Olives Nicoise, Picholine, even the kind with pimento inside.

6. Vietnamese Beef Salad Great takeout; better homemade

7. Light and hearty pasta Capellini, pine nuts, sun-dried tomato, plus chicken and basil make a meal somehow both summery and satisfying.

8. Macadamia nuts These are high in fat and calories so use sparingly, but crushing a few and sprinkling on fat-free yogurt or fruit tastes really decadent.

9. Pesto, Pesto, Pesto Try roasting sweet grape tomatoes and mix in a teaspoon of basil pesto – a little goes a long way, and roasting transforms tomatoes from a garnish to meal (or at least a very tasty side dish).

10. Chocolate pudding with bananas and graham crackers. ‘Nuff said.

Thanks to Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION magazine!

MESSAGE #1016 BE INFLUENTIAL (If you want)

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I am currently reading the latest issue of Time magazine, entitled, “The 100 Most Influential People in the World.”

I like to think that I will be in that issue one day; not because I want to say that I have that title, but because I truly want to make as big of a difference in the world that I can.

And you can too.

I know what you’re thinking, “What if I don’t want to be an influential figure? What if I’m happy with what I have?”

Then by all means, continue with what you are doing.

But the wrong mindset is that it is not possible. It is possible.

It won’t happen overnight, but if you figure out the right strategy, put in the work and truly have a passion for it…the sky’s the limit.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a tennis player, musician or accountant; you have unlimited potential.

My friend Bob Ryland, the first black professional tennis player used to coach the Williams sisters, and the first thing I ever asked him was, “Were they more talented than everyone else?”

“No, in fact I didn’t think they were talented at all at first, but they worked harder than anyone else (from 6am-6pm, with breaks of course).”

Yes, talent and physicality help, however, they are not the determining factors.

Remember, ANYBODY can count the number of seeds in an apple; NOBODY can count the number of apples in a seed.

Your potential is unlimited.

MESSAGE #1014

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I’m reading two amazing books right now – “Bounce” by Matthew Sayed and “The Genius in All of Us” by David Shenk.

Here is a great quote that starts “The Genius in All of Us”…

Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are damped, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources…Stating the thing broadly, the human individual lives far within his limits. -WILLIAM JAMES

What a great quote. And tomorrow, as promised, I will talk about how Roger Federer does not have faster reflexes than you and me…

MESSAGE #1013 ANGER

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the players out there who have anger management issues.

I once had a student who would often get angry at himself after losing a point. And by once, I mean, I “often” have students who get angry and negative during competition.

Negativity and anger are common challenges for competitive players, but here’s the good news…

This can be overcome with training (just like fixing your backhand).

What do you say to yourself after you lose a point?

“I can’t believe you missed that shot!”

“You stink!”

“What’s wrong with you?!?”

Let’s analyze this voice for a second…

Does this “inner coach” help you perform better?

Of course not. What if a real coach spoke like this to their player? Wouldn’t you find a new coach?

If this is an issue for you, you need to find a new “inner coach.”

This inner coach should say something like…

“No problem. How can I make an adjustment? Good, now let’s focus on the next point.”

“That point is in the past, let’s focus on the next one.”

“You’re still in control. Let’s go!”

What you say to yourself between points will determine how you play and what kind of results you get.

How do YOU want to play and what kind of results do YOU want to get?

Remember this secret formula: S + A = R (Situation plus Attitude equals Result).