Don't Take Ducks To Eagle School

This morning while riding the bus to Terre Haute North for our last  9th grade football game I read a great article about well coached teams, and the quote "Don't take ducks to eagle school" got my attention.  I hope that today, I can put players in the best spots to make them and our team successful.  Why do coaches and teachers put students and athletes in positions and classes that they know will lead to failure?  Why do bosses put employees in jobs that they know they won't or can't do?  I think this happens because we have become soft as a society.  We must be truthful with the people we work with- and sometimes  that means making tough decisions.  Not just decisions to make people happy.  Not every player, student, or employee is an EAGLE!  The key is placing the DUCKS and EAGLES in situations that will achieve the best results possible.  I hope that you also realize that both the EAGLES and the DUCKS must experience some level of failure through practice to experience growth.  We all want our EAGLES to SOAR and our DUCKS to fall in LINE to best complement the group.  The best leaders that I have ever been around have identified, challenged, and mentored the EAGLES to be the best they can be.  Those leaders have also identified, challenged, and mentored the DUCKS to be the best they can be.  Beyond that they were very good at allowing the EAGLES to provide leadership for the DUCKS.  They also knew that there were certain situations that the EAGLES needed to be in there, and certain situations that the DUCKS needed to be in there. One last crazy thought- I truly believe that DUCKS can become EAGLES over time. How are you helping your DUCKS become EAGLES- and how are you helping your EAGLES soar to new heights?

Being a Great Teammate

One of the most enjoyable experiences as a player and a coach is getting to be around great teammates. I have had the opportunity to experience being around great teammates in Football, Basketball, and Baseball at the high school and college level. Here are 10 common traits of these great teammates...1.They care about doing their best for the team. 2.They love to compete and they want to win- even if it is just a pick-up game or playing in the side yard. 3.They are honest with themselves and the group. 4.They do not care who gets the credit or the ink in the newspaper. 5.They are people that you like to be around off the field. 6.Family is important to them. 7.Taking care of their Academics is a priority. 8.They are coachable, and try to do what the coach is asking them to do. 9.They play hard all the time-in practices and in games. 10.They have a great attitude! Many of my teammates from Hanover College have gone on to be High School, College, and even NBA coaches. There is a reason these teammates have been successful- it is because they understand the importance of BEING A GREAT TEAMMATE!

New Perspective

This past weekend was jam packed with activity and work. On Friday night I witnessed a high school football game like none other that I have ever seen. Franklin Central defeated Decatur Central 58-50. 108 Points! Wow! Neither team could stop the other team, and the Flashes were fortunate enough to make the last score. While at the game I experienced a new perspective of football. I was working with 5 other guys doing the stats for the game. I did not realize how difficult that it is to identify the ball carrier, the tackler, the assist man, the intended receiver, the gain or loss on the play all in real time. I learned that this takes special concentration, and that you cannot get caught up in the game or your going to miss an important stat. The analogy here is that we all can learn new perspective on things by looking at something from a different angle or view. This is valuable when we are trying improve and learn new ways of doing things.

Saturday evening I also gained a new perspective in my back yard. We had a huge Black Locust tree in our backyard that had been dead for over a year and half taken down. This was about a 4 hour process. As I sit on my back porch and look to the back there is now a huge empty space. Definitely a new perspective! It is going to take a while for me to adjust to the change in scenery. However, now I will have a peace of mind that the tree is not going to smash my house or the neighbors fence in the next storm! Many times in life new perspective brings change- we must adapt to change whether we like it or not...I think a great approach is to try to find the positive in the changes that have occurred!

Lastly, on Sunday I got to take a rest from coaching...and enjoyed the perspective of being a parent. Watching Kole play fall baseball has been a great joy! I hope that each of you has a great week and that you are able take on the challenges of the week...when a change brings on a challenging new perspective- I hope that you are able to keep yourself moving full speed ahead with positive thoughts and no looking back!

Taking Ownership in Time Management

I get very annoyed with students that don't do their work, and I get equally annoyed with players that miss practice.  In most cases I believe this is a time management issue!  Student-Athletes must make a commitment to doing their best!  We all have 86,400 seconds each day to use.  Here are some thoughts for success if you want to compete in those big events in your life.....

1- plan your day each morning.. may mean making a to do list...2- get an adequate amount of sleep each night(at least 7 hours a night)...3- work in a space that has little to no distraction a..4- prioritize your work...what needs to be done first..5- if you are behind schedule, then limit social media..6- ask for help if you do not understand...7- enjoy what you are doing everyday!  What are you going to do with your 86,400 seconds each day this week? Have a great Monday!

Expect Excellence

One of the things that I love about teaching and coaching is seeing student athletes accomplish things that they have never done before. The process of teaching players to believe in their teammates. Talking to students about doing their best! Helping students maximize their potential. Each year in football we have players that do not make it through the first week because mentally they have never expected excellence of themselves. If you are going to be successful, then you must expect excellence. You must have a vision! I can remember as a Senior varsity basketball player our team had visions of winning a Sectional Championship. Prior to the tournament we went to each of the Senior players house and practiced cutting down the nets in the driveway. This helped us to focus on our goal. That year when we won the Sectional it was not a surprise to us. As I was climbing the ladder in the gym after the game it felt like I had already experienced the moment.

Expecting Excellence means that you have the confidence to work hard and prepare everyday for the goal you have envisioned!

Exploring Concentration

This morning I randomly picked a chapter about Concentration out of the book- The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. This is somewhat ironic due to the fact that I am a horrible tennis player and today is my first team meeting for coaching football. As I read my mind began to think about several things- What do I still need to do to get ready for school Monday? What do I still need to prepare for the Football meeting? Not only was my mind wandering, but my ears were listening to the TV show that my daughter was watching in the other room, and the sound of the fan from upstairs as my son was still asleep. All the while my sense of smell was focusing on the CinnCredible rolls that were on the counter making me hungry. Along with these little distractions to my reading, my legs were feeling sore from the workout that I did 3 days ago. Back to the reading...Concentration..according Gallwey it is the act of focusing one's attention-keeping the mind in the now and here. This brings to light how difficult it really is to focus for an extended period of time.

In this picture you can see a concentration by Kole as he is about to hit the ball, you can see a concentration by the catcher getting ready to catch the ball, and you can see a concentration by the Umpire getting ready to make a call. In this picture you can feel the focus and calmness of all three people. There is no doubt that concentration is complex, but it can be learned through practice. This makes it clear to me that when we allow our whole body, mind, and spirit to focus completely on the task at hand- that we can experience a calmness and a greater sense of accomplishment!

Preparation

These last few days we have been making preparations for going back to school. We are coming to the realization that summer vacation is about over. I have heard people ask my kids- "Are you ready to go back to school?" I am not sure that either one is ready for vacation to be over, but it is going to happen. They have to be ready because school starts on Wednesday! Because school starts on Wednesday we have been doing some preparation. We went and bought school supplies and clothes, rented a trumpet, checked the bus pick-up schedule, went to registration, practiced opening Ella's locker,

purchased a gym suit, Ella got some shots at the doctor,.... All of these things are little preparations for school. This is a great analogy for any event in our lives. The best way to feel ready for a situation is to PREPARE. One of my favorite quotes from Bobby Knight is "Failure to Prepare equals Preparation to Fail". When you prepare for something you feel more confident and relaxed. When you prepare to the best of your ability you have no regrets about the outcome. Preparation helps to eliminate the unknown. Every situation may have an element of the unknown, but the more that you can minimize the unknown the more ready you will be. It is ok to have a little nervousness about school starting, giving a presentation, or playing the big game. I know that Kole, Ella, Heather, and myself will all have some butterflies in our stomach's on Wednesday, but we will have a since of comfort knowing that we have prepared for the moment.

Developing Leadership

I think one of the toughest things to do in coaching is to help athletes develop leadership. This morning I have been brainstorming ways to develop leadership. As I have discussed in previous blogs leadership is influence. Every athlete on a team is going to influence others in some way. However, one of the things I have learned is that usually your best athletes and your most experienced athletes are going to have the most influence on the group. I believe one of the biggest components of developing leadership is time. If you display good leadership, then those people around you will grow from your leadership over time. Another component is experience-- put your team or group in a situation in which they have to work together to be successful. Make your practices more difficult than the games. This allows the players a chance to grow together, or apart, and to work through the adversity. When you put a group in an adverse situation you get to really see who your leaders are. Encourage and acknowledge good leadership decisions by those on the team. Talking to players in a 1 on 1 situation can be very valuable. Also utilize classroom time to discuss what characteristics make up a good leader. As the leader of a team I think it is important to identify the role of every member within the group. Not only identify the role, but make sure each person takes ownership in their role. This will promote leadership within the team. Lastly, as the top leader you need to allow the members of the team or group the opportunity to be creative with their leadership. Don't be so authoritative that they are solely dependent on your leadership. In conclusion, it is important to have patience- promote growth through experience- encourage and acknowledge positive decisions- promote ownership of roles- and allow creativity--every person in the group will not lead in the same way!

COMPETE

Last week I worked the Hanover Basketball Camp and they were selling T-shirts that said Compete All Day Everyday. That got me to thinking about what it means to COMPETE. Most things that we do in life we are competing in some way. It may be us competing in a sporting event, trying to complete a task to the best of our ability, working hard to earn an A in a class, or simply going for a personal best. I have created an acronym for my meaning of the word COMPETE. When we do a task there is a CONSISTENCY in our effort to do our best. When we compete we take OWNERSHIP in the process and the result. In other words it means something to you to work hard. Next is MASTERY of the fundamentals. If it is basketball, then we practice our dribbling, shooting, and passing. If it is cleaning our room, then it is getting good at making our bed and picking up our dirty clothes. Along with mastery is PERSISTENCE in what we are doing. If the task gets tough, then we stick with it and finish. We don't give up. Next is ENERGY- when we compete we bring a positive excitement to the table. Also, when we compete we display an element of TOUGHNESS. Again, we stay the course and work to improve our weaknesses. Lastly, we have an ENTHUSIASM that rubs off on others around us. There is enjoyment in the process! COMPETE- Consistency, Ownership, Mastery, Persistence, Energy, Toughness, and Enthusiasm! Compete All Day Everyday!

Learning from the Best

As I sit here in my basement watching the MLB All-Star Game that is being played in New York I am reminded that these guys are the best baseball players in the world! What a great opportunity for young baseball players to learn about the game, and how to do things the right way. It is amazing what we can learn through observing and watching the best. I remember when I was coaching 9th grade baseball, and we would always use a rainy day to have practice in the classroom. During this practice I would give each player a pencil and a score sheet, and we would watch a recorded major league game to learn how to score a game the right way. This was also a great way to discuss bunting strategies, cut-offs, and game situations. As a kid I can remember collecting baseball cards with one of my childhood friends Chad Bergman. We would ride our bikes down to the local convenience store(Denny's) to buy tart-n-tiny candy and packs of baseball cards hoping to get a Dwight Gooden, Eric Davis, Ryan Sandberg or Don Mattingly. These were some of the best players of the time. These experiences led to our love for the game of Baseball- as we would pretend to be these players in his side yard with all the other neighbor kids. The message here is that you can learn a great deal from observing the Best! Search out the best in your field and observe what makes them the Best!

Success can be a Mess

Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning out our garage. As I started the process it seemed like it was going to be a short project, but once I started moving things around- I eventually had a mess. Bikes, storage shelves, trash, hats, shoes, cabinets, pillows, scooters, and sports equipment were spread across the garage floor. It was a mess! As I began to place things back into order the garage began to gain space and cleanliness. This took time but was a success in the end. I was very happy with the end result. This analogy of cleaning the garage can be used to relate to many of the successes that we experience in our lives. The process of achieving success is not always nice and neat. As a matter of fact most of the time it is messy. If the students in your class are trying a new math concept, then they may not understand it on the first try. It may take multiple ways of teaching to learn the concept. In coaching basketball- if you are teaching your team how to run motion offense, then it is probably not going to be a smooth offense after one practice. It is going to take break down drills on how to read screens, how to set screens, practice shooting good shots, etc. My point is that you should expect a mess! Sometimes things have to get worse in order to get better. My mother in law has been battling lung cancer. Three weeks ago she had surgery to remove the tumor from her lung. The next day after surgery, the nurses had her sitting up in a chair and moving around. The next day she had some complications and they had to sedate her and put her on a breathing machine for a few days. This was not pretty. However, since then she has gotten stronger each day, and is now home still recovering. She is making baby steps each day. Learning to re-use her right hand, and working to get strong enough to go up and down the stairs are some of her goals. It has been messy, but she is battling for success! As hard as it is to be patient- we are trying to help her see the small successes each day! One thing that I heard a coach say once is "enjoy the process". Success is a process and we must find ways to enjoy it even when it is a mess. While cleaning the garage I listened to some music, in math class you can learn from your mistakes that a certain method did not work, and for my mother in law she has been able to spend some time with the grand-kids and watch alot of movies!

What is Leadership?

This morning I read the first chapter of John Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You. In this chapter John defines leadership as influence. We all will influence the people around us in some way during our life. It is said that even the most introverted person will influence 10,000 people during his/her lifetime. According to Maxwell there are 5 levels of leadership- Position, Permission, Production, People Development, and Personhood. At the Position level people follow you because they have to- in other words your leadership is merely a title. At the Permission level people follow you because they want to- this means that there is a relationship piece at this level. The third level is Production- at this level the people follow because of what you have done for the organization- in other words the people are excited about achieving positive results for the good of all. The next level up is People Development- at this level people follow because of what you have done for them. People within the organization begin to help others grow - which leads to greater growth in the organization. The highest level of leadership is Personhood- at this level people follow because of what you stand for and what you represent. There is a sense of loyalty. In most cases this level is reached after years of developing organizations and working with people. As I read about these different levels of leadership there was one word that continuously popped out at me... RELATIONSHIPS...in order for us to be influential in a positive way- we must develop positive RELATIONSHIPS with the people we work with. If you are interested in becoming a better leader, then think about what level of leadership you are currently at with most people. Think about the people in your life that are the most influential to you. Why are they successful at leading? Spend time with the people in your organization that you feel have the most influence on others in your organization. Leadership can be DEVELOPED!

Vision in Motion

The last few days I have taken a break from my blog to spend some time working Hanover Basketball camp. I had a great time working with young campers, and catching up with some of my former teammates from college. As I write today the topic is VISION. I believe that in sports and life we have to have a vision. Our mental approach to what we are doing is very important. This week at camp we were doing the free throw contest and one of the campers was getting ready to shoot. Prior to shooting I heard him say-"I am only going to hit 2 shots, I don't know why I am even shooting"- that was his VISION for the contest. If you don't visualize that you are going to hit 10 out of 10 it is not going to happen! VISION is just as important in life as it is in sports. I can remember the first time that I met my wife. It was after a game at Anderson University. She had come to the game with a friend who was dating a teammate of mine on the Hanover Basketball team. I was up in the stands talking to my family and she was standing right behind us in the stands. I still have this VISION in my head of her standing there. My VISION at that time was that I wanted to meet this beautiful girl and get to know her. Her friend Kristy asked me that night in the stands if I was going to come down to the fraternity house the next night, and I responded, "only if you bring your friend". The rest is history. Over the next 3 years we got to know each other and got married on July 18th, 1998. We will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in less than a week. It all started with a VISION! What is your VISION for today? As I sit here this morning my VISION for today is of a nicely mowed yard. That VISION is great, but if I don't get out today and cut the grass my VISION is going to be an overgrown front yard. Put your VISION into Motion!

Camp Influence

As I sit up in my room awake in the dorm at Hanover Basketball Camp, I am reminded of the influence of camp. I think back to my experiences as a camper at Camp Olivet, Basketball Camps at Purdue, Butler, and Vincennes, and Blue Chip Camp in Kentucky. At all of these camps there were people that had a great influence on me in a positive way. This week I am working camp with Hanover College players and coaches that are having the same influence on the development of young campers from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Massachusetts. For the youngest campers it is their first time away from home overnight. Camp allows those kids their first opportunity at overcoming homesickness and MOM sickness. For all of the campers it is an opportunity to make some new friends, spend time with their best buddies, eat three solid meals, and improve their skill and knowledge of the activity they are there for. The biggest influence that camp has had on me as a camper and a counselor is the development of lifelong friends. I am excited about this new week of camp and the opportunity to meet new coaches, and campers. I am confident that each of the campers will meet a new friend, improve on a skill, gain some new knowledge about basketball, have fun, and create some lifelong memories and friends!

L To The Third Power

One of my biggest pet peeves is talking to someone that is a know it all! It does not matter what the topic- these people have an answer for everything, and they are never wrong- just ask them. I have learned through teaching upper level math classes that it is ok to say "I Don't Know" or better yet- "I Don't Know- I will do my Best to find out the Answer". I call this having the attitude of a Life Long Learner! Each and everyday brings a new opportunity to grow. What resources and people do you look to in order to gain knowledge or growth? It is a hard thing to admit sometimes that we need help or need counsel. A lot of times we take it personal, or we respond in a way that says- "I have always done it this way". I challenge you today to be a Life Long Learner! Seek out that person in your profession that is at the top, and spend some time talking to them. Spend some time reading a book that will bring about growth. I learned from going to basketball clinics with my high school coach that if you can learn just one new thing at at the clinic, then it was a successful clinic. Apply that to your life. If you learn just one new thing a day, then that is 365 new pieces of knowledge in 1 year! Just like when you take a number bigger than 1 to the third power- it expands exponentially! Expand your mind, body, and spirit by allowing yourself to be an L CUBED---Life Long Learner!

Voices of the Crowd

I have had the opportunity over the last 17 years to coach and watch a variety of sports at various levels including- middle school football, high school basketball, freshman baseball, pee-wee baseball, youth softball, and little league baseball. All of these experiences have been very rewarding, however, with every team there are voices from the crowd. These are the voices of parents, grandparents, friends, and sports fanatics. With some teams it may be that outspoken dad that does not agree with the position that his son is playing -- the mom that storms the dugout to take her son home because the coach isn't playing her son enough -- the dad that is constantly yelling advice to his son about how to hit, pitch, shoot, or throw-- the irrational mom that is shouting at the ref about a call in the game-- the grand-parent that is trying to get the attention of their grandson in the dugout to see what kind of candy they want from the concession stand-- the fanatics that are shouting for a certain player to go in the game -- the student body that is harassing the players from the opposing team-- I could continue to list a few more, but I think you get the idea. These voices are all distractions to the game. I am sure that in your line of work you face distractions. I think it is very critical to learn how to handle these distractions. The first thing that is important to know is that you are not going to please all these voices- this is a fact! Second- most of these voices have good intentions in mind, but don't always approach the situation in the right way. One thing I have learned is that parents and fans want what is best for their child or team. I believe the best way to handle these voices in the crowd is to focus on the task at hand and block them out. Once you start listening to the voices in the crowd your mind starts to wonder. This would be like trying to drive and talk on your cell phone at the same time. Your focus is not 100% on the road and as a result your not as aware of your surroundings. If you want to be successful, then you must learn how to get in that zone and focus on the task at hand. Lastly, set yourself up for success by minimizing as many distractions as you can. If it is a team, then talk to the players about mental toughness, and talk to the parents about positive player talk prior to the season. We must learn to deal with the voices in the crowd because they are not going away!

Forces, Freedoms, the Flag, Fireworks, Food, Fellowship, and Family

As we celebrate the 4th of July today I am reminded of my childhood experiences of going downtown to see the Fireworks, gathering with family to enjoy a cookout, and waving sparklers around trying to spell our names in the front yard. I hope that as you celebrate the day today you will take a moment to recognize and respect the Armed FORCES that protect our great country everyday. These men and women show great courage and do things to sacrifice for us that we will never fully understand- Thank You! Also take a moment to share with your kids what the 4th of July means- the signing of the Declaration of Independence which led to the Bill of Rights- because of this we are able to experience the FREEDOMS that we do today. As you celebrate our freedoms- remember to recognize and respect the FLAG- 50 stars for the 50 states and 13 stripes for the original 13 British Colonies that declared independence. As you Honor the Armed FORCES, Celebrate our FREEDOMS, Respect the FLAG, and watch the FIREWORKS-be sure to eat some good FOOD and enjoy some FELLOWSHIP with FAMILY! I have even included the words to America the Beautiful so that you can sing along together- O' Beautiful for Spacious Skies- For Amber Waves of Grain- For Purple Mountain Majesties Above the Fruited Plain- AMERICA- AMERICA- God Shed His Grace on Thee and Crown Thy Good with Brotherhood from Sea to Shining Sea.

Parenting 101

This morning as I read Coach Dungy's Chapter on "Fatherhood" it made me realize how fortunate that I am to have great parents. From my short experience so far as a parent, and my 16 years of teaching and coaching high school and middle school students- it is more clear to me each and everyday how important parenting is! I by no means claim to be a perfect parent, but here are some of my parenting thoughts. First of all we must be PRESENT in our kids lives. When I was growing up my dad was very busy with work as an Athletic Director. His job took up a lot of time, and energy. Even though it was hard, he always found a way to include us. It may have meant working the concession stand, keeping the scoreboard, or just simply hanging out at the gym watching a game. Dad also made a point to never miss one of our games or important activities. These are small examples that have a huge impact! Second- HOW YOU RESPOND IS IMPORTANT- this could be through words, actions, or no action at all. Here is a question that Coach Dungy posed- How do you speak to your children? I believe that it is important to remember that your responses mean everything to your kids. Your actions can improve confidence, they can lift a spirit, or they can provide instruction and discipline. One of the things I appreciate about my Dad is his ability to provide comfort and honest advice. I always know that if something is bothering me that I can confide in him! I don't always like his answers, but I have learned that he has the best interests for me in mind. Another thing I have learned in this area with my own kids is that WHEN YOU RESPOND IS IMPORTANT- for example if your son or daughter makes a huge mistake, plays poorly in a game, or scores poorly on a Math test- allow them some time to think about the outcome before you start ranting and raving. Allow them to grow with guided assistance- focus on how they can improve! Next- YOUR KIDS ARE ALWAYS WATCHING YOU- Coach Dungy refers to Country singer Rodney Atkins song "Watching You". I think the words to the song sum it up clearly. He said, "I've been a-watching you, Dad, ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you... I wanna do everything you do So I've been watching you." Lastly- MAKE MEMORIES with your kids. We only have so many opportunities with our children. Coach Dungy shared his experience of losing his son in 2005. I cannot imagine having to go through that as a parent. Don't have any regrets about the time made available to you! Some of my favorite memories as a kid was going canoeing with friends, family vacations, and playing wiffle ball in the backyard! What will your kids say are their favorite memories?

Five L's of Life

This morning I continued to read Coach Dungy's Book Uncommon. The 5th Chapter is titled "How to Treat a Woman". As I read I began to think about family and relationships. We have opportunities everyday to interact with our spouse, kids, friends, students, parents, co-workers, etc. All of these chances to interact allow us to grow and show our true character. Here are my 5 L's to make the most of your interactions- Learn, Listen, Love, Laugh, and Live. Make it important to LEARN about the people you are around. If you are wanting to help your son/daughter improve their study skills, then LEARN about his/her current study habits. Be involved and introduce new methods to help them improve. I heard a coach say once Learn your Learner. The better you know the people around you, the better connected you can be with them! Next is LISTEN- when we listen we learn. There is a reason that God gave us two ears and one mouth. Make an extra effort to LISTEN to the whole story before you open your mouth or jump to conclusions. Are you a person that is already thinking about what you are going to say before the other person is finished talking? I know this is an area that I can improve. Third is LOVE- learning and listening to others is LOVE. Be involved with your kids and the people around you. I know that it is very difficult to manage time with work, games, meetings, etc. Make an extra effort tell a parent that you LOVE them! Be there when a LOVED one needs you. Next is LAUGH- when you learn, listen, and love it makes your LAUGH more genuine. Former NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano used to say that you should LAUGH at least 7 times a day! This a trait that allowed him to win a National Championship and give a courageous effort battling Cancer before he passed. It is important to have fun with those people that you interact with. This does not mean that everything will be fun, but LAUGHING can be a great release of stress! Last is LIVE- learning, listening, loving, and laughing is LIVING. Include those around you in your dream or goal! Be apart of a loved ones dream or goal! As Coach Dungy would say LIVE uncommonly. It is easy to be self centered and common...LIVE UNCOMMON!

Contact Courage

This morning I am writing about Coach Dungy's final core value- COURAGE. When I think of courage I think back to my high school football playing days. I can remember being a sophomore lineman on a very talented Franklin Central Football team. The season started with 2 a day practices in August. I had this vision in my head that I was going to compete to be the starting Center prior to practice starting. As the hot August practices started, I came to realize that I was a weak sophomore getting banged up, bruised, and knocked down by some stronger and bigger Juniors and Seniors. It took a lot of courage to get back up off the ground and do the next rep or the next drill. It took a lot of courage to get up out of bed during the 2 week long 2 a day practices when every muscle in my body ached. It also took courage to want to run into another player. My high school line coach called this "Contact Courage". My sophomore year of Football taught me a lot about mental and physical courage. It was very rewarding because I got to be a part of a State Championship Team that went 14-0 and played in the Hoosier Dome. It also gave me the confidence and courage to be a starting Center and Defensive Tackle in my Junior and Senior seasons. In coach Dungy's book he talks about- "Having the courage to do what is right, and not what is popular". He tells the story about a Pittsburgh Steeler football player named Lynn Swann. Lynn was a great receiver who won 4 Super Bowl rings, and is in the Hall of Fame. He chose to include Ballet as part of his training regimen. This was not the norm in the 1970's, and many players and media ridiculed him. Lynn did not let this peer pressure discourage him. He did what he thought was right for him! The message this morning is- Have the courage to stand up for what is right! Have the courage to set a goal for yourself and go after it! Have the courage to fight through and not give up when things are tough! Have the courage to surround yourself with good people! Have the courage to accomplish something great on this first day of July, 2013!

Important but not Indispensable

As I sit down this morning to write I want to wish my Mom a Happy 59th Birthday, and I want to again send a prayer out to Mammaw in hopes that her body continues to heal. My reading this morning came from Chapter 3 of Tony Dungy's book- Uncommon. Coach Dungy discusses the topics of Humility and Stewardship. The perspective that I liked the best was that we are all "Important but not Indispensable". If you are apart of a team, a group, or a business, then your attributes are important to the success of the whole. However, none of us is so important that we are above the rest. Once we take on that "I" or "Me" attitude, then we begin to destroy the group that we are a part of. Are you a person that likes to be the center of attention? Do you let everyone know that you are the Best? or Do you take on a Humble approach? When I think of a great example of Humility- I think of Peyton Manning. Here is a guy that is one of the best QB's in the NFL. He has won a Super Bowl, gone to many Pro Bowls, and was for a long time the face of the Indianapolis Colts. He has recently joined the Denver Broncos, and yet he still is a big part of the Indianapolis Community with his Children's hospital downtown. We all have talents, skills, money, and time that we can invest each day! What are you investing in? We all can improve our investments through humility, love, and service to others! Have a great Sunday!

One step back, Two steps forward

This morning my reading selection came from one of my favorite books- Hard Work a life on and off the court. This book is about Coach Roy Williams and his experiences as a coach at Kansas, and North Carolina. Coach Williams is one of my favorite basketball coaches because he coaches a fast paced style of basketball and does things the right way! In the first chapter of his book he talks about the amount of stress he was dealing with prior to the 2009 season. His team that year was led by Tyler Hansbrough who is currently a member of the Indiana Pacers. The Tar Heels also had three players that had considered leaving for the NBA- Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green. North Carolina was picked as the preseason #1 team, and there was a lot of talk about their team going undefeated. That created high expectations and a high amount of pressure on their team. At the beginning of the season NC lost their first two conference games to Boston College, and Wake Forrest. These losses shook the confidence of the players, and forced them to refocus on the what was important for them to be successful. These set backs helped their team to grow- the Tar Heels went on to win the National Championship that year! The message this morning is that sometimes we have to take a step back in order to move forward to reach our goal. That is part of the process! Don't be discouraged by failure. Use the WIN principle. What's Important Now. Keep the end in mind, but focus on the daily tasks at hand that will get you to where you want to be!

Baby Sitting, Bird Watching, and Baby Steps

Yesterday was an exciting day in Indiana as Larry Bird returned to the Pacers. I have always been a Larry Bird fan- I think it is because he was my babysitter once while my dad was in college at Indiana State, and watching his fundamental play as a Boston Celtic player. Last night while at the Indians game I learned that the Hoosiers had two players get drafted in the top 5 picks of the NBA draft- Olidipo(2) and Zeller(4). The Indians lost, but we had a great time in the lawn with the kids. After the game I jogged from Victory Field over to the IU Cancer Center on IUPUI's campus to see my mother-in-law. She just had surgery two days ago to remove cancer from her right lung. During her surgery they ended up removing 4 ribs, and cutting out all of the cancer. She is improving each day, but they are baby steps. Day 1 she was able to sit up in the chair for 30 minutes, and Day 2 she was able to sit up in the chair for 4 hours. Yes- baby steps and she has a long way to go! As I headed back to the car and drove home it was about 11:30 pm and I felt wide awake. When I got home I could not sleep so I pulled out the old Larry Bird- Bird Watching book that was down in the basement storage. I spent an hour reading the chapter on the 1992 Olympic Team. That team will go down as one of the best assembled teams in history- Bird, Magic, Jordan, Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Pippen, Barkley, Drexler, Robinson, Mullin, and Laettner. According to Bird the best thing about the experience was that none of these players brought their star egos along with them. He could recall Barkley carrying the coolers for the medical staff, and Jordan having to wait his turn to be taped by the medical staff. Of course he did say that the few practices that they did have were very competitive. Maybe more so than the Olympic games themselves! The message today is that to achieve success -sometimes you need to take baby steps. Building a successful franchise like the Pacers- they have come a long way over a long period of time. From the Brawl to the Eastern Conference Championship. Olidipo- from a high school back-up to the #2 pick in the draft. Zeller- from high school Mr. Basketball to #4 pick in the draft. These successes are not a coincidence. There is hard work behind these successes. Keep your focus on your goal, and keep working towards it! Mammaw we know that you are going to make it home soon!

NO EXCUSES, NO EXPLANATIONS

Chapter 2 of Uncommon is titled Honesty and Integrity. Coach Dungy shares a story about a student selling notes for a Psychology 1001 class when he was a student at the University of Minnesota. He discusses his thought process of rationalizing whether or not it was the right thing to do. Are the notes cheating? What if the professor includes other information? Is it the right thing to do? Again- Shortcuts are easy... Doing the work is harder, but is worthwhile! Integrity and Honesty is something that you can control. It is not what other people think of you- It is what you think of you! Be a person who owns up to your decisions with NO EXCUSES, NO EXPLANATIONS! If you were going to work for the President of the United States- How would you answer this question on the background check? Have you ever done anything that would be embarrassing for the President of the United States to be associated with? Coach Dungy served on the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Uncommon Character

This morning I read the first chapter of Tony Dungy's book Uncommon. This chapter talks about the importance of character and success. Coach Dungy talks about the decision the Colts made to choose Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf. This was a character decision. He talks about the importance of picking teammates and friends. These people should have high character. He also talks about parenting and allowing your children to be able to gain trust through guided experience. I like his quote that "What you do is not nearly as important as how you do it." I have always believed that you should do the right thing. Cutting corners and cheating may get you instant gratification, but in the long run this will not mean as much and will be worthless. Coach Dungy shared another quote about Character from Phillips Brooks, an American clergyman in the 1800's-- "Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." Your character is built through a series of continuous small acts of life. These small acts show your character and help you to develop trust. Make great decisions each and everyday and you will develop an uncommon character!