Former college star Mark Alarie felt that loafing was contagious and destructive.
If you have a player who loafs, it will allow others to loaf. And that will bring down your team's overall level of commitment. If everyone fails to work as hard as they can or as hard as they should, it can and will drag down the group little by little. The best of us fall prey to that lowering of standards. It can infect everyone on the team, and the team itself.
Winners watch vigilantly for loafing (especially in themselves), and snuff it out.
Showing posts with label Toughness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toughness. Show all posts
Friday, June 14, 2013
Toughness Measured
The measure of the toughness of a teammate is the lowest task which he is willing to do. Is nothing beneath him? That is sacrifice.
Hoops Notes From Toughness Book
- From Doug Collins: getting 70% of 50/50 (up for grabs) balls is a measure of a team's overall toughness.
- Bob Knight "change" drill. When change is yelled, offensive player puts ball down and possession changes. The new defensive player may not guard the man who was previously guarding him.
- "No dribble" incorporated into every practice.
- Defense with hands behind backs. "Defense is not a game of hands; it is a game of feet. Your feet have to dominate on defense. Your hands put the other team on the free-throw line. That's why the feet, the development of the feet was so important to me. I wanted to take the hands out of it. It was tougher to play with your feet."
- Bob Knight "change" drill. When change is yelled, offensive player puts ball down and possession changes. The new defensive player may not guard the man who was previously guarding him.
- "No dribble" incorporated into every practice.
- Defense with hands behind backs. "Defense is not a game of hands; it is a game of feet. Your feet have to dominate on defense. Your hands put the other team on the free-throw line. That's why the feet, the development of the feet was so important to me. I wanted to take the hands out of it. It was tougher to play with your feet."
Next Play
It's a great concept.
Next play.
When something goes wrong or right, there's little value in getting overly high or low. Move on.
Next play.
"If you don't move on to the next play, mentally and physically, you're just lingering in the past. And you're cheating yourself and your teammates. Next play is a very real form of mental toughness." - Grant Hill
Next play.
When something goes wrong or right, there's little value in getting overly high or low. Move on.
Next play.
"If you don't move on to the next play, mentally and physically, you're just lingering in the past. And you're cheating yourself and your teammates. Next play is a very real form of mental toughness." - Grant Hill
Dramatic Improvement
"Much of what I have been able to do in law and broadcasting I attribute to the toughness I gained from stepping out of my comfort zone in areas I never would have imagined would make me tougher and prepare me for almost anything." - Jay Bilas
Bilas' sources of discomfort were his participation in debate classes and in school drama plays - places that made you react on the fly in front of audiences. It trained him to work on his feet, built his confidence (through trial and error) that he had been in uncharted waters before and could succeed again.
Bilas' sources of discomfort were his participation in debate classes and in school drama plays - places that made you react on the fly in front of audiences. It trained him to work on his feet, built his confidence (through trial and error) that he had been in uncharted waters before and could succeed again.
The Toughness Formula
"The harder I worked, the tougher I seemed to get. Funny how that works." - Grant Hill
Fitness Is Largely Mental
The U.S. women's national soccer team was near exhaustion in the midst of a grueling workout. Nearing a failure point, one member suddenly cried:
"Norway is not f------ doing this right now! They are not willing to pay this price!"
The energy level of the team instantly increased. The perspective was not of a fruitless chore but a leg up on the competition. Outworking an opponent is a huge motivation.
"Hell, yeah! We're going to outwork the competition, and we're going to love it. Your threshold is not what you think it is. You can do more; you can give more." - Julie Foudy
"Norway is not f------ doing this right now! They are not willing to pay this price!"
The energy level of the team instantly increased. The perspective was not of a fruitless chore but a leg up on the competition. Outworking an opponent is a huge motivation.
"Hell, yeah! We're going to outwork the competition, and we're going to love it. Your threshold is not what you think it is. You can do more; you can give more." - Julie Foudy
Battling Self-Doubt
"I think you have to earn your confidence... You earn it through your work. I was able to battle my self-doubt by knowing I was working harder, that I was putting the effort in, and that I was as prepared as I could be." - Steve Kerr
The fear of failure is more easily washed away by hard work. Why? Because you know you've done your best at the end. If you lose, it's because you were outplayed, not outworked. That's the type of "failure" that a man can live with.
The fear of failure is more easily washed away by hard work. Why? Because you know you've done your best at the end. If you lose, it's because you were outplayed, not outworked. That's the type of "failure" that a man can live with.
Uncluttered Mind
Steve Kerr, never a superior athlete but one of the top NBA 3-point shooters of all time, believed that he had to "trick his mind" because he thought it was just too easy to let his mind go to those "dark places" where negativity resides. "Why give yourself one other thing to overcome out there? You have to overcome your own clutter in your mind, not add to it."
I've found increasing peace from the ability to recognize a lousy thought and then blow it off. More specifically, to snuff it out with a worthwhile task today.
I've found increasing peace from the ability to recognize a lousy thought and then blow it off. More specifically, to snuff it out with a worthwhile task today.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Right Kind Of Addiction
"I used to say, 'I have to prepare'... not anymore. I want to prepare, and I have come to really enjoy the preparation and enjoy the process." - Jay Bilas
I remarked to someone recently that a day without exercise has come to feel like a day without brushing my teeth. An unnatural, restless feeling develops. The day feels ill-spent.
There are things that I'm not good at today, but could be. Things that could become a positive part of who I am. With discipline and practice, it will feel as much an essential and natural part of each day as a shower - clean, successful.
And for you?
I remarked to someone recently that a day without exercise has come to feel like a day without brushing my teeth. An unnatural, restless feeling develops. The day feels ill-spent.
There are things that I'm not good at today, but could be. Things that could become a positive part of who I am. With discipline and practice, it will feel as much an essential and natural part of each day as a shower - clean, successful.
And for you?
Stepping Up
"You can't get to the top of a ladder in one step. But you can get to the bottom."
There is a force in all minds that sucks the light and life from the victorious path of our potential. It causes us to stew, sulk, condemn, curse, fume, fret. It raises the blood pressure and lowers mental quickness. It's the mental gravity of anyone who wants to climb higher.
Don't look down. Don't skip steps. Just step up.
There is a force in all minds that sucks the light and life from the victorious path of our potential. It causes us to stew, sulk, condemn, curse, fume, fret. It raises the blood pressure and lowers mental quickness. It's the mental gravity of anyone who wants to climb higher.
Don't look down. Don't skip steps. Just step up.
Condition-al Success
"Most of the players with better talent, I was in better condition. They felt like they didn't have to be in better condition because they had more talent." - Herm Edwards
Edwards entered the pro football Philadelphia Eagles training camp competing against a hundred other candidates for a handful of spots. He ended up being the starter. He and others credit his faithful physical conditioning as the basis for his excellence.
Conditioning is the fuel of success, as much as complacency is the poison of failure.
Edwards entered the pro football Philadelphia Eagles training camp competing against a hundred other candidates for a handful of spots. He ended up being the starter. He and others credit his faithful physical conditioning as the basis for his excellence.
Conditioning is the fuel of success, as much as complacency is the poison of failure.
The Will To Prepare To Win
"Everyone has a will to win, but not everyone has a will to prepare to win." - Bob Knight
Knight as a coach was renowned for his effort to prepare for as many game scenarios as possible.
Jay Bilas the ESPN basketball analyst and broadcaster is incredibly thorough in his game prep:
- watch tape of teams' recent games
- take notes and compile scouting reports on tendencies of each player, strengths and weaknesses, important statistics from his last four games
- break down offensive and defensive tendencies of teams (deny passes? fight through screens? defense of pick-and-rolls? post defense? go-to plays?)
- talk with coaches who recently played against the teams
- write scouting report by hand the day before the game
In both cases, their preparation allows them to simply watch the game and react to what they see on the floor. What may appear to be natural is in actuality the result of passionately long work. It's the will to prepare to win.
Knight as a coach was renowned for his effort to prepare for as many game scenarios as possible.
Jay Bilas the ESPN basketball analyst and broadcaster is incredibly thorough in his game prep:
- watch tape of teams' recent games
- take notes and compile scouting reports on tendencies of each player, strengths and weaknesses, important statistics from his last four games
- break down offensive and defensive tendencies of teams (deny passes? fight through screens? defense of pick-and-rolls? post defense? go-to plays?)
- talk with coaches who recently played against the teams
- write scouting report by hand the day before the game
In both cases, their preparation allows them to simply watch the game and react to what they see on the floor. What may appear to be natural is in actuality the result of passionately long work. It's the will to prepare to win.
Making A Difference Rather Than A Deference
"Grant [Hill] has an incredible set of values, as strong as anyone's. Those values have really helped him, but they have also been a weakness at times. He has rationalized and deferred at times, especially early on in his career." - Mike Krzyzewski
How heavily does the fear of incapability strangle and weigh down our potential? Yes, we are less capable now than our future selves, and perhaps less capable than those around us - at the moment. But who will outwork you, if you decide not to be outworked? And who can succeed over you for long, once you have committed to that decision? Not many, would be my guess. Deferring the load to someone else means that you'll never be any more able to carry it yourself than you are right now. Why settle?
How heavily does the fear of incapability strangle and weigh down our potential? Yes, we are less capable now than our future selves, and perhaps less capable than those around us - at the moment. But who will outwork you, if you decide not to be outworked? And who can succeed over you for long, once you have committed to that decision? Not many, would be my guess. Deferring the load to someone else means that you'll never be any more able to carry it yourself than you are right now. Why settle?
The Truth About Failing
"Failing doesn't make you a failure. Failure makes you a competitor... Tough people fail, but tough people are not failures. The only failures are those who give up, or give in." - Jay Bilas
I hate to fail. I don't handle it well. The demons of surrender are as strong in me as in anyone else. And settling for that, rationalizing the failures of the past as part of who I am, the product of some dominant gene, or whatever, creates a lasting failure.
The truth is that some of my greatest failures have taught the greatest lessons and led to the greatest results. The F in social studies as an 8th grader launched a full scholarship to college. Riding the end of the freshman bench in high school was the springboard to becoming a varsity captain.
We get the chance to compete all our lives, against ourselves and the circumstances which may tilt in opposition. How will we win?
I hate to fail. I don't handle it well. The demons of surrender are as strong in me as in anyone else. And settling for that, rationalizing the failures of the past as part of who I am, the product of some dominant gene, or whatever, creates a lasting failure.
The truth is that some of my greatest failures have taught the greatest lessons and led to the greatest results. The F in social studies as an 8th grader launched a full scholarship to college. Riding the end of the freshman bench in high school was the springboard to becoming a varsity captain.
We get the chance to compete all our lives, against ourselves and the circumstances which may tilt in opposition. How will we win?
Comeback Confidence
"A setback is a setup for a comeback." - Tommy Amaker
Last year's varsity boys basketball team at our high school sank to a record of 4-7 before rattling off 19 straight wins.
How much different would the spirit of the locker room have been at the low point, had they known how far they would go? But this is the potential that lies ahead of and within each of us. We are rarely that far removed from a great winning streak. The next step is the crucial one. Which one will we take, the one forward or the one back?
Last year's varsity boys basketball team at our high school sank to a record of 4-7 before rattling off 19 straight wins.
How much different would the spirit of the locker room have been at the low point, had they known how far they would go? But this is the potential that lies ahead of and within each of us. We are rarely that far removed from a great winning streak. The next step is the crucial one. Which one will we take, the one forward or the one back?
Toughness Is A Skill
"If the people around you are tough, and they are willing to do tough things, I think you are more likely to be tough too. That's good peer pressure. Peer pressure can make us do things we shouldn't do, but it can make us want to do the tough things, the right things, too." - Bill Self
Consider the five to ten people you spend the most time with. How do they respond to adversity? With whines or wins? Wails or will? Complaining or committing? With hard luck or hard work? Defeatedly or determinedly? With a scowl or a smile?
We choose our company, and we choose our attitude. Toughness is a skill worth practicing.
Consider the five to ten people you spend the most time with. How do they respond to adversity? With whines or wins? Wails or will? Complaining or committing? With hard luck or hard work? Defeatedly or determinedly? With a scowl or a smile?
We choose our company, and we choose our attitude. Toughness is a skill worth practicing.
Energy Boosting Through The Ages
"The confidence instilled by a coach knows no age limit."
When Mike Krzyzewski was named coach of the Olympic men's basketball team, much negative press was given to the inability of a college coach to manage professional players. So his old coach Bob Knight gave him a call of encouragement that he could definitely do it. Krzyzewski went on to coach the team to two gold medals - and counting.
Whether or not your title is "coach," you have a chance to lift someone up daily through a simple act of words. Someone, somewhere could really use it, even if they don't realize how much. It's just a matter of looking.
When Mike Krzyzewski was named coach of the Olympic men's basketball team, much negative press was given to the inability of a college coach to manage professional players. So his old coach Bob Knight gave him a call of encouragement that he could definitely do it. Krzyzewski went on to coach the team to two gold medals - and counting.
Whether or not your title is "coach," you have a chance to lift someone up daily through a simple act of words. Someone, somewhere could really use it, even if they don't realize how much. It's just a matter of looking.
Elegant Body Language
"In the last two minutes of the 2008 title game against Memphis, our body language never changed. Our guys didn't believe that they could lose. The body language was the culmination of years of working on it, valuing it, believing it." - Bill Self
After a big mistake, loss, injury, workout, disaster, the mind starts to sag. If the rest of the body follows, a person is beaten. Winners find a way to keep their heart up, supporting their chest and backbone. The higher the head, the higher the spirit and ultimately the success.
After a big mistake, loss, injury, workout, disaster, the mind starts to sag. If the rest of the body follows, a person is beaten. Winners find a way to keep their heart up, supporting their chest and backbone. The higher the head, the higher the spirit and ultimately the success.
Gang Tough
"You're not tough alone." - Mike Krzyzewski
Star athletes in individual sports like tennis have coaches and trainers backing them up.
Team sports have teammates.
Corporate departments have co-workers.
Worshipers have pastors and fellow congregants.
Students have study groups or roommates.
Battling the adversities of life, or chasing a goal of any kind, is far more meaningful and attainable with a support group.
I'm fortunate to have a group of supportive family members and coaches. And fortunate to be able to pass that on to players, students and family. Staying connected adds color and fuel to life.
Star athletes in individual sports like tennis have coaches and trainers backing them up.
Team sports have teammates.
Corporate departments have co-workers.
Worshipers have pastors and fellow congregants.
Students have study groups or roommates.
Battling the adversities of life, or chasing a goal of any kind, is far more meaningful and attainable with a support group.
I'm fortunate to have a group of supportive family members and coaches. And fortunate to be able to pass that on to players, students and family. Staying connected adds color and fuel to life.
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