Keep Evolving
I just love this photo of @JeffBezos, CEO of @amazon in 1999 and his pithy quote,
“what’s dangerous is not to evolve”.
Keep adapting, learn from everything and everyone, never give up. Keep getting better each day. (+1, +1, +1). Your Mission every day is to get a little bit better in something physically, mentally and spiritually.
Who knew Jeff Bezos would be the richest and most successful man in the world back in 1999. Are you on your way to be the next Jeff Bezos?
Now Go Win the Day!
E + R = O
E - Event. (What happens to you).
The events of our lives coupled with how we handle them determine their outcome. We've all heard the quote "life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it".
R - Response (How and What you choose to do about it)
If you pick yourself up after having a problem, and then work on a solution and then do something to fix it…Then and only then, you can move your life ahead. Realize that you are in control of your response to the events that come your way. Taking charge of a response, stops you from feeling like a victim, and gives you the self-confidence to handle the situation. Take what life hands you and deal with it in some way, then you can get your life back on track.
O - Overall Outcome
Now Go Win the Day,
Coach
He Is Risen
Happy Easter
Compassion came
Mercy shown
Grace revealed
Love conquered
Hope instilled
Forgiveness given
Cross burdened
Grave beaten
Truth fulfilled
Light shines
Glory reigns
He died So that we may live!
He rose So that we may live forever!
Self Image
What is Your Self Image?
Maxwell Maltz was a world-renowned plastic surgeon who discovered that, while some people’s lives changed dramatically after he altered their appearance through plastic surgery, some people’s lives didn’t change at all. He believed that the primary factor that differentiated these groups was their self-image — not what they saw in the mirror but the images they had of themselves in their MINDS. As such, Maltz tells us that the most important thing we need to do is work on how we see ourselves. We need to work on our self-image. Specifically, he says: “A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment.” Which reminds me of our gold-medal winning mental toughness coach Lanny Bassham. In With Winning in Mind, he tells us that we’ll never consistently outperform a poor self-image and that “Changing a Self-Image that is keeping you from reaching your goals may be the most important skill you will ever learn.”
Bowlers: How’s YOUR self-image? Is it helping or hindering you in reaching your goals? How do we Optimize our self-image? Here’s Dr. Maltz’s take: “Imagine how you would feel if you were already the sort of personality you want to be. If you have been shy and timid, see yourself moving among people with ease and poise — and feeling good because of it. If you have been fearful and anxious in certain situations — see yourself acting calmly and deliberately, acting with confidence and courage — and feeling expansive and confident because you are.”
Let’s now use “The As If Principle”, which teaches us how to “Create a New You.” How? Well, imagine the best version of yourself and then to ACT LIKE THAT VERSION OF YOU all day every day. It might be helpful to think of your old personality as being on vacation for two weeks, so you have an opportunity to act like a different person. It is important, however, that you play out your new role twenty-four hours a day, even when you’re alone. The As If Principle will cause you to feel like a new person/athlete, and the new you will soon become part of your actual identity.” Your self-image matters. Today’s +1. How do you see yourself? As a great bowler athlete, who works hard, brings positive energy and serves his community and bowling industry? Or as something a little less spectacular? Let’s VISUALIZE ourselves at our absolute best and then ACT like that version of ourselves. All day every day. The old you? They’re on a permanent vacation.
Win the Day,
Coach
Grit Over Gifts
Grit Over Gift - Rule Yourself
“If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren’t willing to do.” - Michael Phelps
An Under Armour commercial titled “Rule Yourself” demonstrates the physical sacrifices that Olympian Michael Phelps made in order to compete in Rio in 2016. Phelps does not speak in the commercial. Instead, you see him swimming alone, training hard-core in the weight room, carbo-loading, and undergoing cupping therapy and ice baths. You see him swimming repeats with a parachute dragging through the water behind him. You witness his frustration as he slams his fists in the water after a repeat that doesn’t reach his personal standard. The commercial documents his journey to the Olympics without ever showing the destination. It shows the process, the sacrifices and struggles, the relentless commitment to sculpting and taking care of his body.
At tagline appears at the end of the commercial: “It is what you do in the dark that puts you in the light. Rule yourself.” Legacies like Michael Phelps’ are built over a lifetime of sacrifices, commitment and grit.
Grit is knowing your long-term goals, knowing why you are pursuing them, and sticking with your goals despite adversity and setbacks. Grit not only applies to your baseball at Girard but in all areas of your lives - careers, sport performance, education, relationships and your happiness.
The world’s best in anything know this. To be great, they choose to work hard every day. They analyze their playbooks on the weekend and they study performance of professionals they want to emulate. They go the extra mile, over and over.
To help you get gritty and develop the High Performance Mindset complete the following exercise:
-
I choose to raise my baseball game to a new level at games, at practice and with my team. This level looks like _____________________________________________
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I take time to consider my gritty future. What do I want? Really want?
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In order to achieve my long-term goals, I need to make some sacrifices. What do I need to change in my life to make it to where I want to be?
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I am passionate about_______________________________________. I need to _________________________ so that I can achieve ___________________________.
Two Video Clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTftr4Ietac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8
Win the Day,
Coach
What Do You Think of Your Team?
Insideout Coaching
After coaching his team to a College Football National Title, Amos Alonzo Stagg was asked, "What do you think of your team?"
He responded: "I will let you know in 20 years"
Coach Stagg coached from the Insideout. He realizes that his responsibility as a coach is to make boys into men. His main goal is to have these players serve their communities, become outstanding Dad's and husbands, lead their teams in their companies, lead with their heart, give all thanks to The Father, etc.
When your young players take from their experience with you and then apply it to their own lives - their is a coaching legacy. I know how many weddings these great coaches attend. These players want coaches to be a part of their lives.
Are you coaching your team from the Insideout?
Now Go Win the Day!
Coach
Two Rules for Peak Performance
If you have worked with me as an athlete you quickly realize how much emphasis on put on controllables and uncontrollables. I tell all of my players to NEVER EVER waste one second on an uncontrollable and focus only on what you can control as a bowler.
To become a Peak Performance Player, you must follow these two rules:
1. You have little control of what goes on around you.
2. But total control of how you respond to it.
Win the Day,
Coach
True Leadership - Believe in Someone
Believe In Others More than They Believe in Themselves
Today, decide to be that person who instills a positive belief in someone who needs to hear our encouraging words. Uplift someone who is feeling down. Fuel your team with your positive energy. Rally others to focus on what is possible rather than what seems impossible. Share encouragement. It will help build your relationships. It matters and we all need it.
Win the Day,
Coach
Elite Footwork - Direction
Footwork - Direction
It is really important as a coach to be knowledgeable in every aspect of the game. One of the most important skills a successful bowler needs to develop is proper footwork. Proper footwork enhances a player's ability to get the player and the ball to the right place at the right time, develop a repetitive swing, a swing that stays online, the ability to play all angles on the lane, different ball motion tools and other important components. This article is not meant to be the absolute authority on footwork as all players will have uniqueness, but hopefully it will serve to inspire both coaches and players to focus more on footwork. The type of footwork I teach and will discuss in this article (with illustrations) provides the consistency to perform at the highest level.
Many great players have footwork with 4 steps, 5 steps, 6 steps, etc but the last 4 steps are the most relevant and important. The last 4 steps of the footwork set the stage for the entire physical game. Some important terminology used in this article are: 1. tightrope - the ball side foot actually goes in front of the other foot (similar to a tight rope in a circus act). 2. Side by side - this footwork is identical to our natural footwork. When we walk, our footwork moves forward side by side. 3. Slot - this is the area located between the bowler's chin and ball side shoulder. We position the ball in the slot at the setup position (see last article) followed by the push and dropping it into that same slot location. (The length of the footwork, rhythm and tempo, 2-hander footwork will be discussed in future articles.)
The direction of the footwork is so important for a number of reasons. In the front end of the approach proper footwork allows space for the ball to fall into the swing. In the back end of the approach, it also creates the needed space for the ball to drop into a strong leverage position at the release. It also creates the opportunity for the swing that stays online throughout the approach. Let's take a look at each movement and the last four steps of the approach. We will assume the bowler is right-handed.
1st Step - Tightrope
The 1st step is vital in getting the swing direction to be consistent and straight. This first step is a "tightrope" meaning it moves directly in front of the left foot (think of a tightrope walker in a circus - same move). This move creates the needed space for the ball to fall tightly into the swing and allows the ball to remain in the swing slot.
2nd Step - Side by Side
The second step is a side by side (normal everyday walking step). This allows the swing to continue on a straight line with minimal lateral movement (misdirection) in the swing. The ball swing will follow direction of the footwork, which really emphasizes the importance of the second step. Footwork that gets too far left from a side by side may develop misdirection in the swing. Ball swings that travel behind the back (inside the bowler's head) can and usually are a result of not executing the side by side in the second step. This side by side direction really sets up a swing that stays on line and within the ball -swing slot throughout the approach. Remember, the ball with chase the direction of the footwork.
3rd Step - Tightrope
The third step or pivot step is another tightrope in footwork direction. The pivot step needs to create the space for the ball to transition down from the apex (the top of the backswing) into a strong leverage position for the release. The ball is able to navigate close to the ankle allowing for the hand to get to the center and equator (or below the equator) enabling the bowler to develop balance and a strong and powerful release.
4th Step - Straight Forward
The final step or slide step is similar to a side by side but I like to refer to the slide step as finishing straight forward. Be careful the final step isn't moving right (into the swing) or left (away from the swing). It will have a negative impact on accuracy and launch angles. Most of the time if the first three steps are executed properly (above) the final slide step is straight forward.
Summary
I believe every coach will agree that proper mechanics are essential for a consistent and effective performance on the lanes. There are footwork patterns that may differ from what I discussed in this article. That is the great thing about our sport – there’s more than one way to be successful. I believe the technique discussed in this article is simple and very effective in developing the consistency needed to perform at the highest level. If your footwork is providing your game with consistency and performance, I recommend that you continue using it. If you are challenged with consistency and/or are a bowler trying to develop your physical game, give this system a try. I think you’ll find it easy to implement and very rewarding.
Now, Go Win the Day!
Measurements of Success
You treasure what you measure. Measurement leads to motivation. However, not everything that counts can be measured and not everything that can be measured counts.
A crude measure of the right thing beats a precise measure of the wrong thing any day.
What is it that you are measuring in your bowling career or life?
Is there anything that you need more of? Time with loved ones? More time on the lanes? Time developing your mindset? Time invested into your personal health, exercise, sleep or continuing education?
Is there anything that you need to stop by measuring? Alcohol consumption, gambling, fast food or processed food, social media?
What is one aspect of your life that you will start measuring for improvement and one aspect you will try to eliminate by measuring?
IMPROVE:
ELIMINATE:
Win the Day,
Coach