Attitude Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Building a Winning Mindset

Tools to Train Your Brain – Pattern Interrupt

What is a “Pattern Interrupt” and how can I use it to control my mind?

A Pattern interrupt is a technique to change a particular thought, behavior or situation. Behavioral psychology and neuro linguistic programming use this technique to interrupt and change thought patterns and behaviors. It can be as simple as initiating a handshake or as definitive as seizing the moment to travel or fulfill your bucket list.

Humans have an average of up to 50,000 thoughts per day. Amazingly up to 95 percent are the same thoughts, repeated every day (according to the National Science Foundation). That’s a lot of repetition. And very little space for new thinking. [Helen Roe, HuffintonPost.com]

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We all have patterns in our behavior. Some are simple habits while others are ways of thinking that are deeply embedded in our subconscious mind. Usually these patterns help us simplify our lives by not having to think about everything that we encounter. There are also patterns that cause us to do things that are not in our best interest or just make us feel bad.

As an example of a simple (mostly helpful) pattern, let’s say you are packing up books into your backpack. Do you think about how they go into the backpack? Unless there is a book that is unusually large, you probably don’t think too much about the activity. You just do it. What else do you do without thinking? Probably more than you might think. These are the patterns that often help us by keeping our life simplified… but sometimes don’t help.

Patterns in Sports

Let’s say that every time you try to do a drill in practice you are frustrated because you are not getting the results you want. Every time you start the drill, the emotions start coming out. You have built a pattern that ties together a particular drill with the bad feelings of frustration. Intellectually you know that it takes time to learn a new skill but you are still frustrated.

That’s where a pattern interrupt could help you take control of your [pattern of] emotions. It can be difficult to interrupt your own patterns since many of them are so deeply embedded and automatic that we might not recognize them as just patterns. This is where it helps to have a coach or a friend you trust that understands when you need a pattern interrupt.

What might be a pattern interrupt for this example?

By definition, the interrupt must be unexpected and not part of the pattern. If the coach sees that you are getting frustrated by the drill, he or she might walk by and poke you in the shoulder or make a silly sound. Maybe the coach shakes your hand. Whatever they do, as long as it is unexpected, your pattern would be interrupted. After that, you both might smile because you realize there is no reason to get upset over a drill that you are learning. The coach might then explain how you could take control of your emotions and even enjoy the challenge of the drill.

Other applications of a Pattern Interrupt in Sports

Patterns are not limited to reactions to external situations. You might have a pattern of thinking when you encounter stressful or pressure-filled situations. Do you say to yourself “I am not good at this.” or “I can’t do this.”? These are patterns that can hurt your chances of performing successfully in games and as soon as you recognize them, be sure to interrupt the pattern. Replace those thoughts with empowering thoughts and you will get a boost of confidence.

Imagine the pattern…

Since you probably are not asked to make a game-winning shot every day, it can be helpful to imagine or visualize the situation. It has been proven that your brain doesn’t care if it is a real experience or a vividly imagined one. By “putting yourself into the situation” via visualization you can evaluate your thought patterns and interrupt the ones that are not supporting your success.

How do I use a Pattern Interrupt in [non-sport] situations?

The first step is to recognize a pattern you want to change. It might be an emotional response that you have… or it might be a pattern you recognize in your friend’s response.

The next step is to INTERRUPT THE PATTERN. Did you see what I did there? I typed in ALL CAPS to interrupt the flow of your eyes as you read this paragraph. Yeah, it was probably not much of an interrupt but it gives you an idea of how you want to “take a sudden left turn” to break out of the pattern.

The final step is what you do after the pattern is interrupted. It does very little good to go around doing crazy stuff to break people out of unproductive patterns if you don’t help them move in a better direction.

Depending on your relationship with the person whose pattern is being interrupted, it may be as simple as asking them a question or two so you can find out why they have been repeating the pattern. Usually it made sense when it started but it could also be a result of years of built up history so be sure to let them know you are there to help.

Bottom Line…

If you want to break out of old (unproductive) habits, you need to recognize and then interrupt the patterns. This will give you the opportunity to do something different (and hopefully better).

Pattern Interrupts are a valuable tool that anyone can use to train your brain. We are all creatures of habit based on years of history. We have patterns that help us and others that don’t. You now have a tool to start changing those habits or patterns into something that better supports your goals.

Please leave a comment below to tell us how you used a pattern interrupt. What did a pattern interrupt do for you or someone in your life?

Overcome Laziness – Japanese Concept

Watch the video which will introduce you to a cool concept to overcome laziness. It is from Japan and called Kaizen. Watch the video and then we will talk.

Kaizen is a great way to make a change in your life. It starts a habit in the smallest way possible (for one minute) and allows it to take hold in your daily routine. Once it is a habit, you will begin to see results… which will motivate you to expand the habit and get even more success.

The concept of Kaizen is even more effective for young athletes who are just beginning to train their bodies for sports. While they don’t have the capabilities of a varsity athlete or the professionals they see on TV, they have a distinct advantage… TIME. By doing small tasks or workouts on a consistent basis a young athlete can become a superior athlete faster than they can imagine. Patience + Time = Results.

How could you apply kaizen to your life? Pushups in the morning for 1 minute? How about jumping rope for 60 seconds? How many jumps can you do in that time? What do you want to improve? Start implementing kaizen today!

Try it. Take a little bite. You will like what it does for you.

Mistakes… Deal with it!

Everyone makes mistakes. If they say they don’t, they are either lying or in extreme denial. Mistakes are part of life. The sooner you develop a process for dealing with them, both logically and emotionally, the sooner you will be equipped to react proactively to the reality of your situation.

First, recognize the mistake. In sports, it is often easier to recognize a mistake because the ball does not go into the basket or maybe it does… for your opponent. Maybe you tried to intercept a pass and did not get there in time. Or your opponent faked… and you went for it. It was a mistake… Move ON !

The second step (once you recognize your mistake) is to learn from it. If you are in a game, perhaps you can make a mental note that a particular player likes to fake a pass when he or she is pressured. Whatever happened, there should be something you can do to prevent the mistake from reoccurring. If the mistake was strategic (I’m talking to you coach), what could you have done differently to win? If you don’t learn from your mistakes, you are destined to repeat them.

The final step is to MOVE ON. As I said in the beginning, everybody makes mistakes. They are part of life but it does not mean you have to hold onto them like some sort of weird badge of honor. Learn… and let it go.

Try this…

I don’t remember which school or coach gave me this idea but I thought it was something that others should apply. The team created a ritual where they would “flush” their mistakes by making a “flushing” motion (like turning a handle) which symbolized that they were letting the mistake go and moving on. Other teams might clap or wipe their hands together (to squash the idea of the mistake). Whatever you do, a “mistake ritual” can be a useful tool so that you can concentrate on the next part of the game instead of holding onto the bad feelings associated with a mistake.

How is your team going to “flush away” mistakes? Do you have a culture that says it is OK to make mistakes of effort, like going for the steal? Will your team back you up and encourage you to take risks?

Bottom Line… On Mis-steaks

Mistakes happen. Decide how you are going to deal with them… productively. Recognize them, Learn from them and then Move On!

Mental Toughness – Challenges & Problems

This post is about Challenges (sometimes called “problems” by other people). It was inspired by some ideas I learned from a book I just finished called “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. I should warn you… the F-word is used throughout the book… ALOT. Not that it bothered me as I was reading. It seemed to come from the author’s authentic voice and probably added more “flavor” to the book than if he had used the word”care” instead.

Bottom Line?

It is a book about what you care about and how to deal with things that you either don’t care about or should not care about. Obviously understanding the difference for each of those categories is critical for anyone who wants to lead a productive, successful and fulfilling life.
Bottom Line… good book. Read it.

Now let’s talk about Challenges…

Everyone has problems. I prefer to use the word “Challenges” (and it should be clear why by the end of this post) but Mark calls them problems so we will go with that… for now.

Picture two people.

The first one is the richest person in the world. Or maybe just the richest person you know or have heard of. For this example, NOT Donald Trump (his problems are in a completely different class). Getting back to the rich dude… Do you think they have problems? Think about it… Where are they going to invest all their money? Who can they trust with their money? Maybe they want to help people… which charity (out of the millions who might deserve help) should they donate to? Finally, how are they going to spend their money? If you have not seen the movie Brewster’s Millions with Richard Pryor, find a copy and watch it. Rich people definitely have problems.

On the other end of the spectrum, picture the poorest person in the world. Hopefully it is not someone you know. Maybe they have horrible clothes that don’t keep them warm enough. It is easy to imagine that they don’t know where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep. It is not hard to imagine their problems.

Why are we comparing these two people?

First they both have problems. In Life, you will always have problems. Get over it and move on.

Second, and this is a critical point, there are different types of problems. Some problems are better to have than others. What if the rich person was overweight and had terminal cancer? All of their “good problems” might be wiped out by a bad problem.

Where am I going with this?

You are going to have problems and you are going to have to deal with them. The Buddha put a different way, “Life is suffering.” Mark says “Life is a never-ending series of problems.”

Let’s Talk Happiness

It may seem like a hard right turn to go from “everyone has problems” and “Deal with it” to talking about Happiness but Mark brings up a good point in his book that explains how problems are related to your happiness. (And probably not in the way that you expect.)

One of the premises in Mark’s book is that “Happiness is solving problems.” Mark adds, “To be happy, we need something to solve. Happiness is therefore a form of action.”

I like this idea. Happiness is not a destination. It is something you do along the journey.

In other words, don’t bother saying “I will be happy when I get a raise” or “… when I get married” or “… when I have kids”. Solve the problems that are in front of you and keep moving in the direction of your dreams… knowing that happiness is a worthwhile journey.

Happiness is a process.

Part of that process is figuring out what you are willing to tackle, which problems you might LIKE to solve, while you are on the journey to your dreams.

There will be problems you would have never chosen… but they still need to be solved. The funny (?) thing is that everyone will run into a pile of sh*t along the way. The question is what (or how much) are you willing to push through to get a great life?

Mark says, “Struggles determine our successes. Our problems birth our happiness, along with slightly better, upgraded problems.”

In other words, the joy is in the struggle!

Quick Review:

Everyone has problems (both good and bad).
We will always have problems and the act of solving them brings happiness (“along with slightly better problems”.)
We get to choose how we approach our problems.
(Hint: we can call them challenges or opportunities.)
(More about how to approach challenges/problems in Part II of this post)

Arnold on Making it Happen

Below is a excellent video for anyone who wants to accomplish something great. Whether you want to become an all-state basketball player, a 1000 point scorer for your school or even get an academic scholarship to college, the ideas that Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about in this video can be applied to your life.

The concepts are not difficult to understand… it is all in how they are applied that counts. Are you going to be the winner who takes control of their life or are you going to let life “happen to you”? Watch this video and decide how you are going to make your life outstanding!

Want someone to talk to about your plans for greatness?

Coach Wheeler can be hired via Coachup.com for one hour sessions either in person or via telephone or Skype (sign up for an in-person session and we will set up the telephone/skype option).

Or you can ask one of your team mates or friends to watch the video and then have a conversation with them about what each of you are going to do differently.

Don’t let someone else talk you out of implementing Arnold’s words of wisdom. The time you spent watching the video will have been wasted if you do nothing with it. Make it worthwhile. Make something happen!

Pure Sweat podcast interview with Coach Burt

I rarely endorse or encourage my readers to listen to a podcast interview … unless it includes valuable information for basketball coaches or players. The link below to a recent Pure Sweat podcast interview with “Super Coach” Michael Burt definitely falls into the category of good information. Coach Burt has some excellent ideas that will help you build a winning mindset within your program.

Pure Sweat: Coach Michael Burt (Part 1)

Check it out and see if you don’t agree that Coach Burt brings some great ideas for ways to build a winning mindset both in athletics and for life. (Also available on iTunes.)

Mental Toughness – Control Your Story

Narrative is the story you are telling yourself.

You have a voice in your head that is narrating or explaining what everything in your life means. Picture Morgan Freeman’s voice doing a play-by-play as your coach tells you that you won’t be starting the next game. Maybe the voice says “The coach hates me.” or “The coach has his favorite players and there is nothing I can do to change his mind.” With this thinking (and the story it implies), are you likely to do the things which will get you into the starting lineup any time soon? Probably not.

On the other hand, what if Morgan Freeman said, “The team we are playing is very tall and obviously coach thinks we need our taller players in there.” or “I wonder what I need to do to get into the starting lineup?” or “Coach has always treated me fairly so he must have a good reason for not starting me. I will need to ask him to explain it to me so I can find a way to contribute to the team’s success.”

Where do these stories in my head come from?

The story we tell ourselves is built on the beliefs we have accumulated over the years and it can be hard to change our thinking… or it can be as easy as considering a different (more effective) story to explain the situation. This is the difference of being controlled by your past or developing the mental toughness skill of actively CHOOSING how you interpret events in your life.

How do I change the Narrative or Story I tell myself?

Get some alternatives. Ask someone else how they would explain the situation, preferably someone who does not have an interest in the outcome. Often your family’s beliefs are the same or at least very similar to our own beliefs. This means that they may not offer stories or narratives that are substantially different from our own and their stories may not give you a better course of action.

Find an “objective 3rd party”, i.e. someone who is not part of the “problem”, and see what types of explanations they can find for you.

What if the new story is not true?

Living in denial of the truth will certainly bring poor results but the reality is that there are a multitude of ways that events in your life can be interpreted. Clearly you need to recognize the facts of the case, like in our example the fact that the coach said you are not starting in the next game.

The key is how you react to the facts… and the sooner you realize that while you might initially think a particular circumstance is “good” or “bad” it is often how we react that makes it good or bad for us. Choose to be mentally tough and create your own story.

You can change your story…

… and this can open up all kinds of opportunities that you would have missed.

“Problems are not solved at the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein

Comments on Changing Your Narrative and Creating Your own Story are welcome and encouraged…

Do you have a Winning Attitude?

Building a Winning Attitude with Coach Dave Wheeler What does it take to become a winner? Many people talk about a “Winning Attitude” but how many actually practice it? How many of us even know what goes into a winning attitude?

Today I will look at what goes into a winning attitude, using basketball as the example, and how we can cultivate a winning attitude in ourselves and our teams.

Quick Summary of a Winning Attitude:

A Winner sets high standards
A Winner expects to win
A Winner learns from losses
A Winner prepares to win
A Winner embraces challenges
A Winner enjoys the process

“How you do anything is how you do everything”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person”? The thinking is that someone who is already busy will already have the habits in place to get things done where someone who finds ways to NOT be busy is simply avoiding getting things done. Winning is a habit and like the saying goes, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” If you have a winning attitude, you will apply it to all aspects of your life. It doesn’t mean you have to be competitive with everyone in your life (that’s called “a jerk”) but you can recognize what your goals are and do whatever is needed to meet those goals.

How do I apply this as part of a Winning Attitude?

There are opportunities every day to “let it slide” or settle for less than the best that you can do. Winners know that if you will give up on the small things you will give up on the big things too. Small actions prepare you for big successes. A Winning Attitude means holding yourself to a higher standard than other people. Most people are not winners. It is a fact of life, but winning is a choice and you can make that choice … every single day.,

“In it to Win it”

If you are going to play, you are going to win. A Winning Attitude is about committing to being a winner. Are you going to win every single time? Not necessarily… but winners start with their goal in mind and focus on what it takes to win.

“Win or Learn”

Even if you are committed to winning, there will be times when you encounter someone who is better prepared or has better strategies or tactics and you come out on the short end of the competition. Does this mean you Lose? Not necessarily… You have a choice. You can either Lose or Learn. If you quit after you are beaten, then you Lose. If you Learn from the experience and apply it to make you and your team better, then you are better prepared to win the next time. As motivational speaker Les Brown says, “It’s not over until I win.”

The Will to Win vs. The Will to Prepare to Win

Winning is a result of preparation. Games are won based on what you do in practice and HOW you practice always shows up in how you play. Winners are always looking for ways to improve, whether it is physically, mentally or by developing their skills.

Embrace The Challenge

Someone with a Winning Attitude is not intimidated by challenges. They are seen as opportunities to test your abilities and develop confidence. Winning means that you find ways to win, even when there are obstacles or strong competition.

In fact, winners enjoy the challenge. They recognize that without challenges and obstacles, they can never find out how good they really are. That’s why going undefeated by playing poor competition can be a curse in disguise. Certainly you want to win when the stakes are the highest, but if you don’t face any competition before the championship game then how do you know if you are ready? Have you faced strong competition that could bring out the best that you have? A winner looks for strong competition because they know that it will make them better.

How do I develop my Winning Attitude?

Practice, Practice, Practice…
Challenge. Learn. Repeat.

A winning attitude is all about
1) Embracing Preparation & Competition,
2) Learning and Growing, and
3) Enjoying the process.

You can change your attitude immediately… if you recognize where it needs to change. This article has given you some ideas but it is up to you to catch yourself when you are not in a “winning attitude” and make the necessary changes.

This sounds hard. Is it realistic?

Like I’ve said before, not everyone is a winner even though anyone can become a winner. Will it take extra effort? Absolutely. Will you have to give up some things that might have been “nice to have”? Sure. Will it be worth it? Certainly.

An excellent book for anyone looking to develop a winning attitude is “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. One of the key ideas that Jim Collins writes about is the reason there are so few “Greats”.

“Good is the enemy of Great” – Jim Collins

Most people settle for “good” or “good enough” while winners are the ones that go for “Great”. The funny thing Jim Collins found as part of his research for the book was that it takes no more effort to be great. Different effort and concerted, focused effort but not necessarily “more effort”. That begs the question… If you can see yourself as good, why not go for great?

Building Basketball Confidence – The Keys to Success

Confidence is critical to success both on the court and in life. Do you have the confidence to take the shot with the game tied as the closing seconds wind down? Can you step to the foul line and make your shots to win the game? Do you have enough confidence to ask out someone on a date? Can you try something new without knowing if you will succeed? It all boils down to one thing… Confidence.

After watching the video on this page featuring the Dena Evans story about her loss of basketball confidence when she was playing at Virginia, you will start to see some of the ways that a basketball player can undercut their own confidence as well as some ideas for building it back up.

There are 3 keys to Building Confidence, whether it is on the basketball court or in real life. They are:

Your Habits of thinking,
What you Focus on and
How you have Earned confidence.

How does your loss of basketball confidence start?

It would be nice to know where the basketball confidence went to in the first place. A loss of basketball confidence might start with a bad game. Maybe you were not feeling 100% or were coming back from an injury and did not perform at the level you expected. You might not even notice when it exactly started. Dena doesn’t go into much detail in her video. The important point in time is when you start to question your skills, your abilities and once that happens, it can be like a snowball rolling down a hill, gaining in size and momentum until it cannot be stopped… or can it?

Your confidence is built on the words you use in your head. Maybe a coach or a family member noticed your poor performance and gave you a “suggestion”. They probably were trying to be helpful but you translated that into something like, “I’m not good enough” and the snowball started rolling.

Each failure or non-success after that was noticed by your mind and added to the “evidence” that you are not good. Pretty soon, it was all that you could think about.

Where do the words in our head come from?

Most of the rules we have for ourselves, the beliefs we hold about the world, were all, at one time or another, presented to us by other people. It starts with your parents when you are a child and is built on by the friends you have growing up and into adulthood. Coaches can give us words or rules that we carry into life and apply not just on the basketball court. On top of this, there is the media … with advertisements and any number of “talking heads” telling us what is right or wrong and what type of car or perfume we need to purchase. All these words mold how we think and how we act. In many ways it is helpful since we are able to understand and interact with society, but in many ways it prevents us from become the best that we can become.

How do I overcome the beliefs holding me back?

The first step in taking back control of your mind and restoring your confidence is to notice the thoughts that are causing the problems. Every time you think, “I messed up” or “I’m not good enough”, ask yourself “How could I look at this differently?” Almost every situation can be seen from at least two different “angles” and once you start noticing your negative thoughts, you can decide that belief would be more empowering and would make you more confident in your basketball game.

For example, if you notice yourself thinking “I can’t believe I missed that shot. I am a lousy shooter”, you can step back and realize that even the best shooters miss and, assuming it is true, you have practiced that shot enough that it was a good shot to take and a miss is not the end of the world. Maybe you were even defended well on that shot. Don’t look for excuses but also be sure you are dealing with the reality of the situation. You don’t have to beat yourself up for every miss. If there is something to learn from an experience, take the lesson, apply it somehow and keep getting better.

Confidence is a habit.

As you start to notice your thoughts, positive and negative, you will probably find that you have to make an effort to correct your negative thoughts, at least in the beginning. This is part of training your brain to work for you. Eventually, more positive thoughts will fill your mind and fewer negative thoughts will find their way in. Your confidence will grow as you build the habit of controlling your thoughts… but that is not “the end”.

What you Focus on Increases

Aside from “catching” negative thoughts, it is important to use your Focus, or attention, to build your confidence as well. Dena Evans talks about how after her sophomore season, she needed to write down 10 things she did well after every pickup game or workout. At first she struggled but eventually she was able to Focus on what was going right during a game which make it easier for her to write down her “10 Good Things” and start reviving her confidence in her basketball skills & abilities.

Note for Coaches:

If you are a coach and you see that your team lacks confidence, maybe you are focusing on the wrong thing. I am not suggesting that you avoid correcting mistakes. That’s an important part of learning and developing as a player but don’t forget to reinforce the good things that your team is doing, especially as they learn new skills. They might not recognize in the heat of a competitive game or scrimmage that they just successfully used the move you have been teaching them for the past three weeks. Applaud the successes and you will get more of them. Focus on good things and they will multiply. As the coach, how you deliver your feedback is a critical part of your player’s basketball confidence.

Thinking isn’t enough

After reading this article, maybe you have come to the conclusion that all you have to do is 1) Create the Habit of controlling your thoughts and 2) Focus on the good things. Those are two important elements but basketball confidence is not that simple. You don’t get confidence without EARNING it. What does this mean? It means that you work hard on your moves. It means you put in extra effort so you are in peak physical shape. If shooting is an important part of your game, it means that you have shot more shots than probably anyone else you know. You KNOW you are good because you have put in the effort, learned what you need to know and have built your basketball confidence based on results.

You know that you can hit that shot with the seconds winding down because you have practiced it. You know that you can execute a spin move that leaves the defender looking stupid … because you have practiced it… and practiced it… and practiced it. You have earned the right to be confident … and now you know how to control your mind so that it is there when you need it.

Is Winning Important?

CW-blog-WinImportant Do you want the short answer? Here it is…Yes.
Winning is important… but not for the reasons that most people think. Let me ask you, “What is your relationship with the concept of winning?”

Sports are a metaphor for life…

… and if a person doesn’t learn what it takes to win through competition and sports, it is very likely that they will struggle to learn it in other ways throughout their life. The idea of “Winning” is not without controversy. It is a concept that many people have deeply held beliefs around, often to the detriment of the people they are trying to develop… their players.

The 3 Faces of Winning

There seem to be three reactions to the topic of “winning”; not counting Charlie Sheen’s “approach”, which we won’t be addressing.

First, there is the “winning at all costs” camp which justifies all kinds of reprehensible and sometimes immoral or even illegal behavior in the “pursuit of winning”. Eventually though, these people are removed from their positions of authority because their behavior is not tolerated by their players, parents and their organizations.

On the other hand…

On the other (second) side of “winning” are the people who feel “everyone is a winner” and their downfall is that as they pass out trophies for everyone, they create youngsters who feel entitled to win at everything they do. Sadly, these kids will either be disappointed when they realize that the real world doesn’t work that way or they will simply give up without putting in any serious effort. This philosophy of “winning” takes away the reward for effort and improvement and cripples kids chances of achieving their dreams in the future.

Another way to look at this is through Carol Dweck’s framework from her book titled “Mindset”. She explains the difference between a “growth mindset” where a loss is simply feedback for future growth versus a “fixed mindset” which says that someone either has talent or they do not so any loss indicates a lack of talent and there is no reason to pursue future challenges in that area.

And this one is “Just Right”…

The third approach to winning, and the one that I support, leverages the challenges offered by competitive sports so that players discover what they might be capable through a sustained effort and focus. It is firmly planted in the “Growth Mindset”. I like to say, “Winning is a byproduct. It is what happens when proper preparation meets productive attitude.”

Sport is a unique opportunity for players to learn lessons not easily acquired in other ways. My teams pick up things like “How to work together as a team toward a common goal”, “How to push past discomfort to improve your physical conditioning”, and “How to ‘Master the Mundane*’ tasks that are part of repetitive drills that yield improved game skills.”

* “Master the Mundane” is a phrase I picked up when I interviewed Tom Brayshaw, the 1989 New Hampshire Player-of-the-Year and 2117 point career high school scorer.

The action of a game enhances a player’s ability to focus – identifying opportunities and reacting quickly to developing situations on the court or field of play.

This third view of winning, at least the way I see it, also treats losing a bit differently from the way the general public sees it. I tell my teams that they will never lose… if they can learn from every contest where they do not come out on top at the end of the game. I call it “Win or Learn” vs. “Win or Lose” and it is a way of turning every contest, regardless of outcome, into one more step in the process of ultimate winning… becoming the best that you, and your team, can be.

This also makes it easier to adopt an attitude of good sportsmanship since your competitor is not the enemy. They are simply the team or player(s) that are committed to bringing out the best that you have and identifying your weaknesses. It is hard to be mad at someone who is doing their best … to make you better !

Don’t Cheat your players out of a winning mindset !

While it probably doesn’t warrant a 4th view of winning by itself, I often see coaches who settle for “good enough” rather than holding their players and team to a higher standard. A standard that is focused on becoming the best and winning much more often than not.

Maybe coaching is not that important to these coaches. Maybe no one ever taught them what it means to be a winner so they can’t pass those ideas on to their team. I am not blaming them. There are many reasons why it happens and, sadly, many parents or school administrators simply let it continue. As Jim Collins says in his book, “Good to Great”, sometimes “Good is the enemy of Great”. If you are happy with “good enough” it is very easy to stop there and not pursue excellence.

Whatever the reason, coaches who settle for “good enough” are cheating their players out of critical life lessons that the pursuit of winning in sports could provide.

Agree? Disagree?
Oversimplified? Too Complicated?
Too Much? Not enough?

Leave a comment below. The only rule for comments is “Remember The Fonz”… be cool (and respectful).

Next article…
“How do you create an environment for winning?”

Do you want to know the mental framework that I use as the foundation for creating a winning team, even at the middle school level? What gets players motivated to push themselves and perform at their best? I will address these questions in my next article

If you want to be notified when the next article is released, please be sure to sign up for my email list. If there isn’t a signup form on this page, there will be on soon so check back in a day or two.