Well, I leave for the airport in a few minutes to hop a flight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Tomorrow morning I will be speaking at the USPTA Florida Convention to tennis coaches, directors, club owners and administrators at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.
I will be nervous.
Being nervous is good – it means you are about to do something important. Being nervous is much better than not caring.
Do you get nervous before a big match? A presentation at work? Asking someone out on a date?
Pete Sampras used to get nervous all the time. In fact, he used to get so nervous before finals that he would throw up in the locker room.
But why was Sampras able to perform the way he did?
Because he didn’t act how he felt.
So tomorrow morning at about 9:30am I will be getting nervous.
But at 10am, I am going to ACT like I’m going to rock the house.
Next message from sunny (hopefully) Florida.
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-06-04 06:56:462010-06-04 06:56:46MESSAGE #1046 NEXT STOP: KEY LARGO
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
-THOMAS JEFFERSON
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-30 08:29:592010-05-30 08:29:59MESSAGE #1041 A QUOTE FROM JEFFERSON
Brandon Laird is one of the top Yankee prospects. He currently plays for the Double-A Trenton Thunder and is leading the league in RBIs.
The other night, Laird hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run), including a walk-off home run (above) to win the game.
I was in the press box for that game, in fact, I spent some time with Laird before the game. I knew he was a top prospect, but what impressed me most was his character and attitude. Below are the highlights from our conversation.
Brandon Laird is 22 and comes from a baseball family. His brother, Gerald, is the starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers.
I started out by asking Laird about the best home run he ever hit.
“It was in a playoff game in high school, extra innings and I got a first pitch fast ball and just put a good swing on it.”
The key word is just. He “just” put a good swing on it. Laird and I talked about how peak performance happens when we have very little mental interference. You’re not thinking about your technique, your last at-bat, what people will think if you have a bad game or “what am I eating later?”
ET: Do you ever get nervous before games?
BL: I do. But then I take a couple deep breaths and tell myself that I’ve been in this situation before.
ET: Who is your favorite player?
BL: Growing up I was a big Chipper Jones fan and now I like Alex Rodriguez, as well.
ET: How did you get to this point in your career?
BL: Hard work.
ET: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were younger?
BL: A lot. The scouts at how well you do, but they also look at how poorly you do. If you go 4-4, that’s great, but if you can go 0-4 and still contribute on defense, be a leader and bounce back the next game, that’s even better.
ET: How is your nutrition?
BL: I actually started eating really well and lost about 25 pounds and it is definitely giving me more energy and helping me play at a higher level. It wasn’t easy, but I stuck to it.
Laird also shared with me the fact that he didn’t even make varsity in his first year of high school. “You can’t control that – you just have to go out and play your game and focus on the things you can control.”
Derek Jeter and Pete Rose also gave Laird some great advice (watch the video below).
As you know, after my conversation with Laird, he went out on the field and became only the second person in team history to hit for the cycle.
I could tell just by talking to Brandon that he had the right mindset and that he will go far. In fact, I gave him a copy of my book and signed it, “See you in the Bronx, Ed.”
Brandon Laird is a great player, but more importantly, he is a great person.
Watch the video below for part of our conversation…
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Brandon-Laird-Pinstripes2.jpg400267adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-28 10:01:022010-05-28 10:01:02MESSAGE #1039 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BRANDON LAIRD
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.”
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-21 22:47:422010-05-21 22:47:42MESSAGE #1032 ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
I asked Dolores what some common challenges were for her clients. She said that many times people have unrealistic expectations for themselves and others. They focus on external things that are out of their control and then get upset or angry.
When we focus our energy on things we cannot control, we are wasting energy. It’s a losing battle.
Instead, DeGiacomo says, “We should focus on things we can control, like our perspective on situations and people, being kind to ourselves and never give up.”
“How can we do it differently next time?” is better than “What’s wrong with me/them?” DeGiacomo added.
One of her clients was complaining that her mother-in-law was not treating her the way she wanted to be treated.
DeGiacomo asked, “Does she know how you would like to be treated?”
“No,” here client responded.
That’s like if I’m a tennis coach and I expect my students to practice between lessons, work on their fitness, have proper nutrition and work on their mental toughness…but I don’t tell them to, and then get angry at them when they don’t. That’s just silly.
Dolores also recommends that we stay in “learning mode.” When we strive for constant improvement instead of results, we actually start getting better results, as a by-product.
I like that.
For a free 10-minute consultation with Coach Dolores DeGiacomo, email:
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-17 10:39:022010-05-17 10:39:02MESSAGE #1028 TALKING WITH A LIFE COACH
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!*
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-14 06:13:152010-05-14 06:13:15MESSAGE #1025 BE A BLACK SWAN
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great tennis coach, Javier Perez Cigoj in Argentina.
So yesterday I talked about negative reactions on the court and why they can hurt your performance and results.
Soon after, I received a message from Javier, a tennis coach in Argentina and he said, “Great message, but how should you act instead?”
Well, Javier, the key is to let the point go – you can think about how to make an adjustment, but then, keep it in the past.
1. Take a couple deep breaths (to stay in the present and to lower your heart rate).
2. Project a confident image.
3. Think about where you want to hit your next shot.
4. Focus on the things you can control (your energy, attitude, strategy and effort).
5. Cultivate the feeling of winning the next point (even before the point begins).
The best way to increase your chances of winning is to not focus on winning.
Focus on the process instead of the product and as a by-product you will win more.
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-13 13:32:142010-05-13 13:32:14MESSAGE #1024 HOW TO WIN MORE PART II
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
https://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/default2.jpg300300adminhttps://www.edtseng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TsengLogo211-2.pngadmin2010-05-12 11:15:522010-05-12 11:15:52MESSAGE #1023 HOW TO WIN MORE
