“ If an athlete wants to be perceived as a focused and relentless competitor, then he must know how to look the part before he can play it.”
—H. A. Dorfman, sport psychologist and author
• Your body language is critical to your success. • Poor body language leads to poor performance.
• Never project frustration, anger, fear, or anxiety through your body language.
• If you don’t feel confident, fake it until you make it.
Burnout
“ Burnout in sports is a condition in which the athlete experiences stress over an extended period of time resulting in reduced motivation and interest in the activity. In short, you’re worn out, tired of the sport, and don’t ever want to see another racket, bat, or helmet again!”
—John Murphy, sport psychologist and author
• The positive traits of desire and commitment can result in burnout if carried too far.
• Too much pressure from within can be frustrating and lead to burnout when the results are not coming.
• Focus on improvement rather than winning. • Take care of yourself mentally and physically. • Make sure that you are getting enough rest. • Everyone has a breaking point.
• Know when to take a step away from your sport. • Allow time to recover.
• Schedule time away from your sport.
C
Caring
“ Two aspects of caring help us succeed: caring about our goals and dreams, and caring about our teammates, without whom we’ll never achieve anything.”
• Caring creates team togetherness. • Exhibit concern and empathy for others.
• Offer support to those teammates who are struggling. • Coaches must always remember that players do not care
how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Challenges
“ Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”
—General George Patton
• Life is one challenge after another.
• Our program will challenge you physically and mentally. • You must meet the challenge to achieve excellence. • Embrace the challenge. Do not shy away from things that
make you uncomfortable.
• Reach out to your teammates during challenging times because nothing will defeat us when we stay united.
Champions
“ Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, and they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
—Muhammad Ali, Hall of Fame boxer
• True champions do whatever it takes to excel.
• The characteristics of a champion are hard work, initiative, vision, and character.
• The fuel that drives champions is caring, conviction, and commitment.
• Champions never complain because they are too busy getting better.
• Champions put themselves in a position to be successful.
Championships
“ Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
—Michael Jordan, Hall of Fame basketball player
• Individuals play the game, but teams win championships. • Championships are the by-products of individual hard work
and unselfish team play.
• If we are going to be a championship team, we have to think and act like champions.
Character
“ Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
—John Wooden, Hall of Fame basketball player and coach
• Athletic competition does not teach character, it reveals it. • Coaches teach character.
• As players you must know what acceptable behavior is and what it isn’t.
• Character can be learned and improved at almost any age. • Character is a choice.
• Your character is revealed through your actions.
• The real measure of your character is what you would do if you knew that no one would ever find out.
Chemistry
“ The best teams have chemistry. They communicate with each other and they sacrifice personal glory for the common goal.”
—Dave DeBusschere, Hall of Fame basketball player
• Chemistry is the magic ingredient of a winning team. • A team’s core group has a great impact on team chemistry. • Athletes who are committed to their team’s core values
create good team chemistry.
• Teams that have self-centered and unhappy athletes create a chaotic environment.
Remember: Successful coaches do not necessarily play their team’s most talented athletes; they play the players who work best together to make a cohesive unit.
Choices
“ As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can by making the best choices and by making the most of the talents we’ve been given.”
—Mary Lou Retton, Hall of Fame gymnast
• Success is a choice.
• You must decide what you want, why you want it, and how you will achieve it.
• Every day you are faced with choices that ultimately decide whether you succeed or not.
• You choose whether to have a positive attitude or a negative attitude.
• You choose whether to go the extra mile and have a second-to-none work ethic.
• You choose whether to put your heart and soul into everything that you do.
• You choose whether to fight through adversity.
• You choose whether to place the team ahead of personal goals.
• Athletes who continually make poor choices continually underperform.
• Always remember that the things that happen to you are a direct result of the choices that you make.
• Your choices will determine our decision whether we want you to be part of this team.