MESSAGE #711 A NINE YEAR-OLD WAS MY TEACHER YESTERDAY…

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Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter on Sept 4, 1993.
He was born without a right hand.

“Everyone is your student and everyone is your teacher.”

I learned a great lesson yesterday.

I have learned many lessons, and have been inspired by many different people, like Jim Abbott (above), one of my heroes. But yesterday was a bit different.

There was a nine year-old boy in my tennis camp. It was his first time playing tennis. I take that back, his father had tried to teach him, but he had no formal training.

Everyone was having a good time and working hard.

At the end of the morning session, we finished with a game. After the game, I looked at this boy who I’ll call “Hank” and he looked so upset. I asked what was wrong and he said, “I lost the game.”

“Hank,” I said to him, “I don’t care if you win or lose. I only care if you give your best effort. I only care if you have fun.” Hank responded, “Okay,” not really convinced. Earlier in the day, I had told the campers to remember their ABCs…Always Behave Confidently.

Well Hank was with me for the afternoon session too and I tried to catch him doing good things and complimenting him.

At one point, I was playing against him in a game called, “drop ball.” The score was tied, and we were both up at the net and I said, “I’m nervous!”

Unexpectedly, Hank, gave me a big smile and said…

“Don’t be nervous – be confident!”



Thanks for reading…and thanks to my nine year-old teacher.

MESSAGE #709

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Hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed making it.

A special Happy Birthday to my grandmother, Fung Shee Pan – 104 years young!

MESSAGE #708 DON’T DO IT!!!

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Well, it’s the 4th of July here in the grand old US of A. What does that mean? Barbecues, the beach, parades, concerts and fireworks. The Declaration of Independence for the United States.

Most people are going to have hot dogs, hamburgers, beer, and soda.

These things are not the healthiest for you, are they?

Do we even know what is in hot dogs?

I think they’re made of pork.

Contrary to popular belief, hot dogs are not made from pig snouts and leftover meat. But they can’t be good for you.

This is from an AP article…

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A new billboard debuting in St. Louis asks for “dietary disaster” warning labels to be put on hot dogs served at Busch Stadium and other Major League Baseball stadiums.A nonprofit advocacy group called The Cancer Project is sponsoring the billboard that debuts Wednesday off Interstate 70 in St. Louis County, just in time for this month’s All-Star Game. The billboard features an image of hot dogs jammed into a cigarette pack labeled “Unlucky Strikes.”The billboard and a letter from a Cancer Project dietitian to Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig claim a link between processed meats and the risk of colorectal cancer.The National Pork Board on Wednesday refuted the claim, calling it an attempt to scare consumers when it says the fundamental causes of many cancers are alcohol, smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity.

I’m not saying I never eat hot dogs. It’s obviously your choice.

What I am saying is that you should think before you do things.



Everything is a choice. Don’t just do things because everybody else does.



You get out what you put in to your body. The fastest car goes nowhere without fuel.

And nothing tastes as good as fit feels.

Thanks for reading and have a happy and healthy 4th.


MESSAGE #707

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“Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.”

Go all out when training.

Be confident when competing.

That’s it.

MESSAGE #706 ARE YOU A NEGATIVE NANCY OR A POSITIVE PATTY?

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“It is better to light the candle than to curse the darkness.”
-ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

In my article, “Top 5 Mental Mistakes Tennis Players Make,” the number one mistake was “They Are Negative.”

Most people would rather curse the darkness than light the candle.

“What’s wrong with you?!” or “I’m playing terrible today!” are common thoughts.

What kind of results do these players usually get?

Unfavorable ones.

Now say the following to yourself…

“Okay, the ball went into the net – I’ll just aim higher. I’ve still got this.”

“I am playing the number one player in the state! What a great experience!”

You can take any situation and turn it into a positive. It is not the situation you are handed, but your attitude towards it that matters.

If you were to count how many negative comments, sounds and gestures you made in a single day, you would be amazed. The next time you feel the urge to complain or be annoyed, ask yourself, “How can I turn this into a positive?” instead.

When you decide to light the candle instead of cursing the darkness, your world changes.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #705 A LESSON FROM MICHAEL JORDAN…

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“We didn’t approach it as ‘Let’s be 13-1 in December.’ We approached it as ‘Let’s get this game…Let’s get this game…Let’s get this game.’ The next thing you know, we were 13-1.”
-MICHAEL JORDAN

Do you have a big project or big goal?

Do you sometimes feel that you cannot see the finish line?

You need to approach life in the same way that you eat an elephant…one bite at a time.

Michael Jordan takes one game at a time.

Break up your projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Create a schedule for practices and match play to reach your tennis goals.

Do a little bit every day.

I am currently working on creating new habits for my business and personal life. I have been getting up at 6:05AM every morning to take care of things. I have basically added two hours to every day. Do I really feel like getting up at 6AM every day? No, but once I “just do it” I’m glad I did. Those little things add up.

Take one day at a time.

You are like a wire – at first your actions create a thin wire, but as you do the right things, day after day, and develop good habits, that wire wraps around and gets stronger and stronger. And before you know it it’s a thick cable! And nothing can stop it.

Homework: Make the most of today, then repeat tomorrow…and the next day….and the next day….

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #703 DO THIS NOW!

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“Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary.”

-RAY KNIGHT, former professional baseball player and manager

What do you need to concentrate on?

Your sport? You job? Your schoolwork?

In all great performances, there is very little self-talk going on. They “just” did this or “just” did that. They are in the zone, or experiencing flow.

There will be voices inside your head. And if you’re asking yourself, “Are there voices inside my head?”…that’s the voice I’m talking about.

But the difference between the winners and the losers is that the great ones accept those voices and then focus on staying in the present.

Here’s a little exercise to get you in the present right now.

If you’re in a place where you can close your eyes, do so. Take a deep breath through your nose for about six seconds. Now exhale out through your mouth for about eight seconds. Again. As you breathe in, imagine the air being fresh; fresh air and fresh thoughts. As you breathe out, imagine all the toxins, stress and negative thoughts leaving your body. Do this for five minutes. Set your alarm if you have to.

This exercise is a great way to relieve stress and re-focus on the present. You can take these deep breaths also between points and on change-overs during a match.

Leave me any comments.
Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #702 EASTERN WISDOM AND TENNIS…

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Recently, the great Desmond Oon, Ph.D., author of “Can Eastern Wisdom Improve Your Tennis? You Bet.” sent me an email.

Dr. Oon is a USPTA Master Professional, former Davis Cup coach and captain of the Republic of Singapore, played on the international tennis circuit in the 1960’s and board-certified hypnotherapist. He read about my book in the latest ADDvantage magazine for USPTA teaching professionals and wanted to do a book exchange. I was honored.

I remember attending one of Dr. Oon’s workshops while I was at Ferris State University – it was one I will never forget. He hit topspin with a telephone book!

I have since begun reading Oon’s book and love it. Here is an excerpt…

Eastern Wisdom: You Can’t Succeed If You Often Change Course

Oon’s Take: In life, we can’t manage too many affairs at the same time. It is like trying to hold down several pumpkins in the water concurrently. When we try to hold down too many with both hands, another pops up and we have to repeat the action.

If you set out to achieve certain objectives on court, you have a better chance of success, if you stick to your plan of action. Your success rate will fall if you keep on changing objectives, in mid-stream, even before they are realized.

Give your plan of action time to show results. You can’t succeed if you often change course, in the middle of a match.

Thank you Dr. Oon and thanks for reading.

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.