Making your Mark: Blue Streaks

This evening I read a devotional about a young boy that received a bike for his 10th birthday.  It was a blue dirt bike with a banana seat and bright blue tires.  This young boy became the envy of the neighborhood with his awesome new bike.  All of the other boys could leave black streaks across the sidewalk, but this young boy could leave his mark with thick blue streaks.  The point of this story is that we all have opportunities to leave our mark on the people we come in contact with.  This past week I have been reminded of how important it is to make a mark on our children.  We must provide guidance, love, discipline, freedom to grow, and support.  We must also leave a positive mark on every relationship that we encounter on a daily basis.  For me this is impacting students and athletes that are growing and maturing into young adults.  Wow!  What an opportunity that I have to influence.  Also what a challenge!  This past weekend I ran into a former student that is now a coach and teacher.  Our conversation about life, family, and coaching showed me that I had left a mark on his life.  This is a very rewarding feeling.  Having these experiences reminds me that I have a huge responsibility to influence in a positive way everyday.  I hope that you are able to leave a positive mark on your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and all those you come in contact.  Our marks may not be as visible and short lived as the blue streaks of a bicycle, but they may have an impact of a lifetime!  

Make Your Experience Team Oriented

This week I have spent time reading the book Winning Everyday by Lou Holtz. I have enjoyed reading his philosophy on being successful. It has brought to my attention the amount of influence that we have on other people on a daily basis. We have influence with the words we speak. We have influence with the words we type in an e-mail, in a blog, in a tweet, in a post, etc. Unfortunately we live in a ME world. The joy of reading Coach Holtz's book has been the focus on doing right, having a vision, and sharing in the spotlight. Which means that to be successful in life we must be team players. Whether this is with your family, with your co-workers, with your sports team, with your facebook group, with your class at school, or with the twitter chat group- we must learn to bring a positive influence to the people we come in contact. One of the most successful teams that I have ever been associated with was the 1992 State Runner-Up Baseball Team that I played on my junior year in high school. That team established a routine and developed a true togetherness as the season went along. That experience has left me with lifelong friendships and memories that will never go away. Winning the Semi-State in Richmond, playing at the Old Bush Stadium in Indianapolis, and experiencing the excitement of the community was priceless. The reason that I share this story is because we had a vision of the great things that could happen. We talked about it and we believed that we could do it. This is an ingredient to making your life limitless. Great things can happen when you are a part of a true team. People that trust one another, that care about one another, and that are committed to making things the best that they can be. As Coach Holtz says, "Life is a Team Experience." Once you buy in to that you won't feel so alone, and you will experience life with exponential excitement!

No Man is an Island

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day..the sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, and everyone was excited to be outside. We decided to take the family to Eagle Creek Park to walk the trails around the lake.

As we walked the trails we got some good exercise and family time. We saw an owl, we saw people in canoes, we saw people fishing and jogging, we saw a tree that laying on its side had a trunk that was more than 6 feet tall.

As we continued to walk I was snapping some pictures by the lake and came across this view.

It reminded me of a quote that my high school basketball coach shared with us- "No Man is an Island". What is the meaning of this? To me this quote indicates that we are smaller than we think we are...each day our plate of chores and tasks may seem overwhelming...that is why we must surround ourselves with things that are bigger than us! I believe that we must have Faith in God...we must surround ourselves with people that are gentle and humble...we must give focus to the things that are lasting! We all have great challenges ahead of us and we can't accomplish them alone.

Have a GREAT WEEK!

The Narrow Road

As I sift through the meaning of life, spirituality, success, relationships, leadership, and failure it is brought to my attention that our daily experiences shape our growth or lack of growth. Our approach is influenced by the people that we associate, the environment that we place ourselves, and the attitude that we take on each and everyday. This past week was challenging for me because my kids were on Spring Break, and I had to go back to school. My attitude and approach at the start of the week was not the greatest. It is amazing how one little event, experience, word, or action can influence our approach so easily.

These small influences can make the difference between success and failure; a relationship working or not working; a teaching going well or being chaos; a workout rejuvenating you or pulling you down; a day being good or great; a player making a shot or missing; a student completing their work or not completing their work; etc. It also reminds me that the road we travel can be wide or it can be narrow. I can remember traveling to Maui with Heather on our honeymoon and taking the Road to Hana in our rental car. For those of you not familiar with the Road to Hana- it is a long, narrow, winding road along the shores of Maui. There are beautiful views that are exhilarating and awesome. However, the cliffs and the narrowing of the road to one lane can make you feel anxious and afraid. At the end of the road is a parking area in which you can get out of your car and walk through the forest to an unbelievably high waterfall. It is one of the neatest experiences that I have had in my life. My point in sharing this story is that the road to excitement was narrow and hard. Each day we have that choice. Are you going to take the wide road that makes it easy and comfortable? or Are you going to take the narrow road and challenge yourself? The most memorable things in my life have come from taking the narrow path. There are no shortcuts to the Beautiful Waterfalls, spiritual growth, success, and great friendships. Challenge yourself to do something GREAT!

The Top 10 Things I Would Like All Students To Understand

10. That What You Do Now Will Affect Your Future. 9. That It Is Better To Let Your Actions Do The Talking- Be HUMBLE! 8. Whining And Complaining Will Not Get You Anywhere. 7. It Is Valuable To Know How To Be Instructed Or Coached. 6. Responsibility Is Important- You Must Learn To Meet Deadlines.

5. Your Previous Knowledge Gives You A Starting Point. 4. Response To A Situation Speaks Loudly About Who You Are. 3. Do Your Work To The Best Of Your Ability. 2. Don't Be On Time- Be Early. 1. Show Up And Give Your Best Effort!

Fundamentals are not Always Fun!

As I have watched the NCAA tourney this year I have been drawn to watch and observe with great amazement the Wisconsin Badgers.  This team is the definition of FUN DA MENTAL.  Shot fakes, Great shot selection, Team defense, Take charges, Minimal turnovers, Team offense, Effort, High IQ, and Tough.  All of these things did not happen overnight.  I can only imagine a November Badger practice that involves repetitious Fundamental Drills directed by Coach Bo Ryan.  Dribbling and Ballhandling, Passing, Individual and Team Defensive Breakdown Drills, Shooting- All with Repetition!  Yes that's right repetition.  This is a lost art and an old school belief.....Repetition!  I can only imagine once more that the current Badger players would tell you that these Fundamental Practices were not FUN.  They were work, they were meaningful, they were focused, and they have helped them to improve to make them what they are now......I also imagine them still practicing some of these same dribbling, shooting, and passing drills even as they prepare for the Final Four.  This is not groundbreaking information that I am sharing.  It is merely an excitement for a team and coach that exemplifies one of the best core values for success.  That is executing the basic fundamentals.  

(Picture taken from Macon.com on google images) I hope that you will take note that mastering fundamentals in any walk of life will lead to success.  It may not be enjoyable, it may not be FUN....however....it will be rewarding!  Just ask Coach Ryan and the current Badger Basketball Players now.  Let me also point out that DA MENTAL part of this story is learning to apply the skills you have learned with a high level of  MENTAL toughness.  This Wisconsin team exemplifies that too!  As you watch the Final 4- take notes- Kudos to the Badgers!

Attitude with a Win-Win Approach

Each year I post my favorite poem at the entrance to my Math classroom. It is titled Attitude by Charles Swindoll. This poem was shared with me in high school by one of my basketball coaches. I believe that our Attitude is the foundation of our Success.

Everyday we are faced with experiences that shape our lives. Some of those experiences are fun, tough, gut wrenching, easy, humiliating, embarrassing, exciting, funny, miserable, exhilarating, most memorable, etc. How we respond to these experiences makes us who we are. How many times have you regretted a decision that you made because you let your emotions or your attitude affect your thought process? We all have made that mistake. When encountered with that tough decision- look for the win-win outcome. What is best for all parties involved? A win-win Attitude will lead greater growth in the end. This approach may be very difficult at times. It may lead to some failures-but most definitely will lead to Growth.

Process Quality over Outcome Quantity

As Coaches and Athletes we get hung up on Outcome Quantity. How many wins do we have? What is my batting average? How many sacks do I have? What is my FT percentage? How many points did I score? How many home runs have I hit? What is my grade? These are all Quantity Outcomes. Yes they are all good ways to measure success, but they should not be the focus. The most important focus should be on Process Quality.

Are you able to focus on playing as hard as you can play? Is my positioning correct on defense-how can I improve it? Do I feel comfortable and balanced when I shoot the ball? Are you making solid contact when hitting the baseball? Are you sprinting as hard as you can sprint? Are you enjoying what you are doing? How can you improve your stance? Coaches and Athletes that focus on Process Quality will have a more clear mind and will achieve more. Focusing on the Process Quality will allow the Outcome Quantity to Take care of Itself!

MUDITA

This morning I read the chapter on Unselfishness from the book Help the Helper. It exposed me to a new word- MUDITA. This is a joy experienced from seeing others in your group experience success. This is a true excitement for others. This is not an excitement because it benefits you. Creating a culture of MUDITA can be very difficult because of the all about me attitude. There is not a greater feeling than being a part of a group that sincerely cares about each other. Being a part of a team in which each individual works their butt off to make the team the best that it can be. When I was in college I got to experience this first hand. I played on a very good Hanover basketball team that had the best player in Division III basketball on it. His name was David Benter.

Dave was like a small college Larry Bird. He could do it all- he could score inside, rebound, defend, and play on the perimeter. OK, he did struggle a little at the FT line. The thing that Dave brought to the team other than his great skill was leadership, unselfishness, and a high level of competitiveness everyday! This carried over to our whole team. Dave would have games in which he scored 35 points, and have 15 rebounds- but he was still concerned with the team performance. He was humble, and he helped to create MUDITA within the team. Guys on that team held each other accountable. If one guy was dogging it, then someone spoke up. If someone took a charge, then there were players on the bench up and cheering. If someone on the team was being a problem, then we discussed it. We helped our teammates....we cared about the success of the group. No one cared who scored the points as long as the Panthers were successful. No one cared who got their name in the paper, we all wanted to see the score in the paper that showed Hanover victorious. True MUDITA is not common. Everyday it is very easy to experience jealousy, envy, and joy in others failures. Putting your team and your teammates in front of yourself can be very rewarding. Not only can it lead to success, but it can lead to great relationships, lessons in togetherness, and lifelong memories! MUDITA!

10 C's of a Champion

Champions exemplify the 10 C's! 1. Champions are Competitive- Every opportunity is an opportunity to compete and improve! 2. Champions are Committed- this means you are committed to yourself, your teammates, coaches,your family, your community, your school, and your goals. 3. Champions Communicate- This means knowing when to talk and when to listen. This also means having a positive voice within the team. 4. Champions show Composure- Not only when things are going well, but when things are adverse too! 5. Champions are Compassionate- This means you are real- no fake mojo's. 6. Champions are Compelled- This means that you are always striving for your Best! 7. Champions are Confident- Confidence is a feeling of knowing that you have prepared to the best of your ability for the task at hand. 8. Champions have Common Goals- within a team the players share the responsibility by using their strengths to reach a shared goal. 9. Champions are Creative- they find ways to accomplish the same task in different ways. This is great for muscle and mental confusion. 10. Champions Confess their mistakes- This means that they know that progress will occur through failure, and they understand the importance of admitting and learning from a mistake.