Category: Mental Toughness

Your Food Mindset

Cookie Monster - Your Diet Expert?
Are your food choices and eating habits similar to this guy?

Have you ever thought about how Food affects your Mindset? When you think about it, if you aren’t fueling your body with the right foods it is nearly impossible to perform at your best, either physically or mentally. Your food can also impact your mood… we have all been “Hangry” at one time or another (to quote a Snickers commercial). But is a candy bar really the right long term solution? This article will address what goes into developing and implementing a successful Food Mindset. In other words, we will cover what you need to do to improve your body & mind through the food you eat.

3W’s for developing a successful Food Mindset

(1) Why do you eat?  Are you eating for Health or for Fun? Are you usually eating to create your Best Body? Or is taste more important than nutrition for you? Does your food support a lean, low-fat body so that you are not carrying excess weight that will slow you down on the court? Or do you rely on food as a “drug” to manage your mood?

A clear idea of your motivation(s) when it comes to food will help you make better choices and stick to a plan that supports you reaching your potential on the court and in the classroom.

(2) What to eat. Do you have the knowledge you need so you know WHAT foods are the best to eat? Are you aware of what NOT to eat as well? There are many competing ideas when it comes to nutrition… from fad diets to traditional approaches to the latest research, so it can be nearly impossible to know everything.

I like to keep things simple. The first thing you need to know are the basic food groups… Fats, Proteins, Carbs. Within these groups there are good foods and bad foods. For example, there are “slow carbs” like veggies that boost your blood glucose level over a longer time versus “fast carbs” like pasta, sugary foods or soda which causes your blood glucose to spike to high levels quickly and then crash back down leaving you craving more food.

By converting food into blood glucose your body fuels your brain and muscles. This is how what you eat can have a huge impact on how you feel and how you will be able to perform.

As important as knowing WHAT to eat is knowing what NOT to eat (or at least limit as much as possible). There are three things (the 3 S’s) that are at the top of the list of foods to avoid… Sugar, Soda and Syrup.

Sugar is the ultimate “fast carb” and it shows up in more foods than you might imagine. It is not just candy. Sugar is included in things like bread, pasta and many other “fast carbs”. Quick note: veggies are ‘slow carbs’. Fruits are ‘fast carbs” but not quite in the category of sugars since fresh fruit often has fiber that helps your digestion system.

The second ‘S’ is Soda. Soda drinking is often just a habit, especially for young athletes. If you can change your “default drink” to water, your taste buds will adapt and eventually you won’t even want the sicky-sweet taste of sodas. Note: Diet Sodas are not the same as water, even if they claim ‘zero calories’. They are loaded with chemicals that are not doing your body any favors. Learn to drink water 1st !

The third ‘S’ is Syrup, in particular High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS. Don’t be tricked by the fact that it has “fructose” in the name and that is the sugar typically found in fruit. Plus it comes from corn, so how bad can it be? Plenty bad. It is even sweeter than sugar and is in almost every prepared food you find in the supermarket. Check food labels and work to remove it from your diet. Note: It won’t be easy… but with work it is possible.

Eating for Life by Bill Phillips

A good book on the subject of food for athletes is Bill Phillips’ “Eating for Life”(Amazon link). This book was a follow up to his successful book, “Body for Life“, (Amazon link ) which also has some great ideas to help you improve your Food Mindset .

(3)  When do you eat?  Your body is designed to handle time periods where you have plenty to eat as well as time when there is nothing to eat. In today’s society, we usually have plenty of food and, putting aside the quality of the food we choose to eat, the quantity of food nowadays is probably the largest contributor to the obesity epidemic.

Athletes are not exempt from obesity. As the saying goes, “You can’t out run a bad diet.” so no matter how hard you work out, you still need to dial in your diet. On top of that, few people today are choosing to ‘not eat’ and activate the “Fasting Protocol” portion of their metabolism.

The good news is that you don’t need to go without food for days and days to get the benefits of Fasting. Intermittent Fasting is when you limit WHEN you eat to a certain part of the day, usually 8 – 12 hours. This gives your body a chance to ‘fast’ for 12-16 hours every day and the result is that many of the ‘weak cells’ in your body don’t survive the fasting process. This leaves you with a higher percentage of healthy cells and since we are always making new cells we won’t miss the weak ones who get eliminated.

Side note: It has been shown that fasting for 3-5 days prior to chemo treatment makes the treatment more effective and reduces the side effects. Did you know that while cancer cells replicate faster than normal cells, they are also dependent on the availability of sugar (blood glucose) and are also weaker than healthy cells.

Implementing a successful Food Mindset

Once you know the 3W’s: Why you are eating, What you need to eat and When to eat, there are three key concepts that will turn your knowledge and motivation into a successful Food Mindset. They are Mental Discipline, Hydration and Personal Identity.

Mental Discipline

Mental Discipline is a skill that can be developed but it is much easier to build habits that allow you to conserve your mental willpower for other challenges you will face throughout the day.

One way to cultivate mental discipline / food habits  is to build a “cheat day” into your diet. Just knowing that you have one ‘cheat day’ per week can give you discipline to eat better for the other 6 days. You will probably find that even on your cheat day, you will eat better because “eating right” has become a habit as part of those other six days per week.

Coach Wheeler on How to create a compelling personal vision for your lifeAnother way to develop Mental Discipline is to use the power of both Plan & Process thinking. Coach Wheeler is developing a short (~10 minute) speech on creating a vision for your life. Part of that speech explains Plan vs. Process thinking. (Link to Coach Wheeler’s YouTube video – this is an early practice speech at Toastmasters).

In short, Plan thinking is having a goal and figuring out the steps you need to achieve that goal. Process thinking is geared toward “winning each moment”.  It is setting up processes that will lead “in the direction” of what you want. Process thinking is built on the idea that you might not be able to control the outcome of every step in your plan. But you can control how you approach everything you do on a day-by-day, moment-by-moment basis. When Plan & Process thinking are combined (with a clear Vision and Focused action… mentioned in Coach Wheeler’s video), your chances for success are greatly increased.

Translating this into your Food Mindset means that you have a Plan for the food you are going to eat. Plus you can execute that plan by implementing the Processes that produce success. Some process examples might include how you do the shopping, cooking and eliminating sources of bad choices. If you “win the shopping”, you are much more likely to have good food. Can you “win the cooking” and you set yourself up to eat better? By eliminating bad foods from your environment, you are making it easier to follow your plan.

Hydration

Hydration is one of the easiest things to overlook when it comes to your Food Mindset. As mentioned earlier, making water your default beverage is a good start. It offsets other (bad) alternatives such as soda but there is more to the story when it comes to water. Your body needs water. In fact, we are MOSTLY WATER and when our body is low on water, we often interpret it as “hunger”. It is always a good idea to drink some water when you first feel hungry. This way you aren’t taking in extra calories when you are really just thirsty.

Hydration is critically important for athletes. It is good to imagine that “sweat is weakness leaving your body”. You also have to replenish the water in your body to operate at your best. Keep in mind… we are losing water through evaporation even when we are not soaked in sweat. Every breath leaves with a bit of water. (That’s what you see in the winter when you can see your breath.) Every time you go to the bathroom, your body is using water to eliminate waste from your system. That’s why you need to be aware of your hydration level.

A good way to look at hydration is to monitor the color of your pee. If it is dark yellow, you are dehydrated. If it is almost colorless, you are probably in good shape. Note: This is a guideline and does not address illnesses that might affect the color of your urine. I don’t pay a doctor online … or in real life, so get medical attention if something seems out of line.

Identity

Coach Wheeler's book, Fat is all in your HeadFinally, the last part of your Food Mindset is your Identity. This is how you see yourself.

Are you an athlete (so you eat good foods that allow you to perform at your best)? Or are you a generally lazy person who eats whatever is offered or “tastes good”? Y0ur identity shapes all of your decisions in life, not just food. If you want to learn more about how you can shape your identity so it supports your Food Mindset, check out Coach Wheeler’s book, “Fat is all in your Head“.  It starts out with the story of how Coach Wheeler lost over 50 pounds by changing his thinking.

Bottom Line…

Your Food Mindset is up to you. It can impact all areas of your life. The sooner you take control of the food you put in your mouth, the sooner you will start to achieve your potential. On the other hand, you could continue to let it slide. And your goals will continue to slide away from you as well. The choice is yours. Please leave a comment below and tell us what you decide!

 

Book Review-12 Rules by Jordan Peterson

12 Rules for lifeJordan Peterson’s book, “12 Rules for Life, An Antidote for Chaos” has some good ideas but it is also heavy on Bible stories and quotes from philosophers and psychologists.

First question you probably have…

Are the 12 Rules worthwhile? Will they help you build a better life? Quick answer: Yes. They are worth reading but you might want to read through the summary below first to see if you are interested in reading more. Some of the chapters can get a little long winded (and go off on a few tangents) so you need to be motivated to stick with the book.

Let’s take a look at a brief summary of each rule…

Rule 1 – Stand up straight with your Rule shoulders back.

This is partly related to “Fake it until you make it.” It means that you should project confidence physically even if you might not be really “feeling it.” [Little secret that goes along with this… if you physically project confidence (or any other emotion really) you will start to move toward the actual feeling. Our emotions are tied to our physical “habits” so if you want to feel better (or more confident), move like you do when you feel that emotion… and the emotion will come.

Grade for Rule 1 … A+ (very worthwhile).

Rule 2 – Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.

Most people treat their pets better than than they treat themselves. They take them for regular checkups while forgetting to do the same thing for themselves. If you are a parent there are an endless number of ways that you sacrifice for your kids. This rule says that you should at least apply the same standards to yourself and while it makes sense, it may be difficult to change your habits when it comes to self-maintenance.

Grade for Rule 2 … B+. This should be common sense but more people need to recognize that they can give more by taking care of themselves instead of sacrificing for others.

Rule 3 – Make Friends with people who want the best for you.

If you have studied nearly anything in the area of “personal development”, you have probably heard the saying that “You are the average of the 5 people who you spend the most time with.” If you hang out with millionaires, the odds are better that you become one too. If you hang out with people who eat poorly and never exercise, what do you think the odds are that you will be overweight? Jordan Peterson takes a little different angle on this concept. He suggests that finding people who will hold you to a higher standard will help you become your best self and realize more of your potential, Good idea. Not especially original but definitely something to apply to your life.

Grade for Rule 3 … A. This is a good idea, just not especially original. You have probably heard something similar already.

Rule 4 – Compare Yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.

This Rule especially applies to athletes but it can be applied to nearly any endeavor (academics, business). What you might think is “talent” may just be the result of someone working on a particular skill for longer than someone else. This article about “The Talent Myth” talks more about this concept.

The key point is that we need to be careful who we compare ourselves to. Everyone has their own journey and often someone else is a currently at a different point in their journey. Use them as an example or learn from them if you want to achieve whatever it is that they have achieved. Seems simple, right? Only if you keep this rule in mind and don’t make yourself feel bad because you “aren’t there yet”!

Grade for Rule 4… A.  Important to remember. Learn from those ahead of you. Don’t feel bad because you aren’t there yet. Get to work!

Rule 5 – Don’t let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.

This rule applies mostly to parents but it could also be applied to managers within a company. Jordan Peterson includes many ideas for raising children as part of his 12 Rules and most of them are built around the idea of socializing kids so they can operate effectively in society. We live in a society and children need to learn what is expected. Making life easy for kids isn’t really doing them any favors in the long run. Another way of phrasing this rule… “Don’t raise a PIA.”

Grade for Rule 5 … B-. Good idea for parents but this rule doesn’t have as much application as the other rules.

Rule 6 – Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.

This is, by far, the best advice of the “12 Rules” book. Another way to say it is to “Tame your demons before tackling the world’s problems.” Jordan Peterson suggests that it is important to “Create Order in your life” where you can. [He talks a lot about “Order” and “Chaos” while drawing comparisons with Heaven and Hell.] The basic idea is that creating Order in your life (by taking control of what you can control) will give you the secure foundation you need to tackle the Chaos you will inevitably encounter.

Quick note… Chaos is not always bad. Creativity and Variety can come from Chaos. Order is not always good. Too much Order and you get boredom or limited growth. This may sound kind of Zen (Jordan explains the meaning of the Zen Circle and how it relates to Chaos/Order too.)

Grade for Rule 6 … A+  Best advice in the book. Do this first.

Rule 7 – Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).

In other words… Shortcuts are not the answer. “Meaning” comes from “worthwhile challenges” and Jordan suggests that you should choose the challenges that will add meaning to your life. If you have been searching for the “Meaning of Life”, this might be as close to a good answer as you might find.

Grade for Rule 7 … A+. How can the “Meaning of Life” not get an A+? Is it easy to focus on doing something meaningful?…No. Is it worth it… you betcha.

Rule 8 – Tell the truth – or at least, don’t lie.

Truth is a tough subject. Jordan Peterson says Truth is order (and is also easier to remember than nearly any fiction you might conceive). Finding “Truth” also means confronting reality so tht you are not deceiving yourself (or others). The better we deal with reality, the better our results. Former CEO of GE, Jack Welch, has written a number of books and has said that the ability to discover reality and deal with it is one of the keys to the success he had when he ran General Electric.

Another way to state this rule would be to “Be a Pursuer and Purveyor of the Truth”. The only problem with the truth is that sometimes it isn’t “pleasant”. On the other hand, a little short term discomfort (like telling someone they need to improve something) is better than letting the problem grow. Rip that “Truth Bandaid” off quickly! [That’s my metaphor, not Jordan’s].

Grade for Rule 8 … A-  While this rule seems simple, it can be tough to implement. If it was phrased along the lines of “Deal with Reality” (instead of the Truth angle) it might have wider application… but still worth applying!

Rule 9 – Assume the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.

This rule kind of shows how Jordan Peterson is Canadian. Canadians are known for being “nice” (compared to Americans) and this rule is something that will improve the connections you develop through your conversations with other people.

Another way to say it… Learn from others. They have done things you haven’t.  If we focus on what we are going to say, we lose the chance to learn something.

Grade for Rule 9 … A.  If you want to get better, you need new ideas. The best way to get new ideas is from other people. Listen. You have two ears and one mouth. 2-1, Listening to Speaking is a good start!

Rule 10 – Be precise in your speech.

This is one of the rules that isn’t exactly self evident by itself. One part of “precise speech” is the “Avoid blanket statements.” Another is to “Recognize Opinions vs Facts.” Jordan Peterson points out that precise communication requires work. It requires an understanding of the pitfalls of language as well as an open mind. How precise is your language?

Grade for Rule 10 …  A.  This is an area we could all improve and Jordan Peterson is someone who is very precise with his language. [Check out this interview where he talks about the Gender Wage Gap.]

Rule 11 – Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.

This is another rule that applies for parents (or adults who teach or manage children).  Bottom line, according to Jordan Peterson, is that Children need challenges. This is how they explore the edges of their capabilities. They might get hurt. That’s part of the process… and part of the excitement.

Grade for Rule 11 … A.  We all need challenges if we are going to grow. Not everyone will want to be a skateboarder but there are plenty of challenges out there… for adults as well as kids.

Rule 12 – Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.

Another way of saying this (without the cat reference) is to “Engage with Opportunites to LIVE!” This is a good rule to end with because it is very easy to hide in our own little world and miss out on lots of the great parts of life, such as petting a cat (or dog). Don’t forget to connect with the outside world. There are lots of great things going on out there. When the opportunity comes around… ENGAGE!

Grade for Rule 12 … A+. Maybe this grade is higher than it needs to be… but I get to pat my dog every day and I highly recommend it for everyone!

Bottom Line – Is 12 Rules worth a read?

Jordan B. Peterson has clearly thought about life and “what works”. He has a strong grasp of the studies that explain the human condition. He offers wisdom that is generally accepted (and backed by research) within his field (psychology).

By reading the “12 Rules”, I learned a lot about the Bible and the psychology of success. There are plenty of interesting stories and examples … if you can wade through everything else. There are also many pop culture references (and ancient wisdom) that I navigated fairly successfully. On the other hand, some readers who did not grow up in the 60’s/70’s might not get the references. I am about the same age & educational level as Jordan Peterson so we start from a similar frame of reference.

If you found this review of the 12 Rules interesting, you may want to read the book. If you didn’t see anything that you want to dig into, you probably won’t like wading through all of Jordan Peterson’s stories and cultural references.  Professor Peterson tends to go off on tangents so the book is not as easy to read as it could have been. I also found that there were times when it seemed like he was trying to prove how smart he is. As a university professor, this might be second nature but I could probably edit the whole book down to less than 2000 words. [BTW- this post is less than 2000 words.]  Hopefully this post was helpful.

If you have already read the book, please leave a comment below to tell us what you thought about the 12 Rules!

How to Win the Timeout

Brad Stevens - How to Win The Timeout
photo credit: nbawire.com

Have you ever thought about what needs to happen for your team to “win the timeout”? NCAA.com reports that “Possessions after timeouts account for 15-18 percent of possessions in a game. The worst teams score around .7 ppp. Average teams score around .85 ppp. The best score more than 1.0 ppp. And there are many teams who execute better within seconds of receiving advice from the coaching staff.”

Brad Stevens, the head coach for the Boston Celtics, is known for having his team run highly successful plays “After a Time Out” or ATO. How can you “win the timeout”? Answer: If you think about the situation that created the timeout, there are certain things you can do, as a coach, to give your team the best chance for a successful play immediately following the timeout.

Why was the timeout called?

To slow your opponent’s momentum and regroup your team? Or is it the other way around and you are on a run so the opposing coach wants to slow you down? Whatever the reason for the timeout, you can use it to your advantage.

For example, if you are on a roll and the other team is trying to slow you down… why not switch up something when you come out of the timeout? Something that is different from what you have been doing could cause enough confusion on the other team for you to get a steal or force a bad shot.

Doing something unexpected is always a good tactic… as long as it is something you have practiced and that uses your team’s strengths.

Aside from the “unexpected”,
what else can we do to “win the timeout”?

HUSTLE. It can demoralize the other team if you show them that you are not tired (even if you are) by hustling to your bench. It also gives you an extra second or two together that the other team doesn’t get (because you arrive at your bench sooner).

3 PART TIMEOUT. If you are organized as a team, you will be able to accomplish more during your timeout. For example, I like to use a 3 part timeout process which consists of (1) Feedback, (2) Tactics and (3) Motivation.

(1) Feedback is a quick check of the status of your team. Where is their head at? Are they confident and engaged in the game? How tired are they and does anyone need a quick rest? This should not take long, maybe a few seconds, but you want to address any problems they are experiencing on the court.

(2) Tactics. This is typical timeout actions… drawing up plays, switching defenses, whatever you need to do to gain an advantage.

From NCAA.com… Advance scouting, game observation and gut instinct help coaches make the right call in a huddle. Clemson’s Brad Brownell is in his 15th season as a head coach. Over the years, he’s learned that the less information he heaps onto his players in a timeout, the better.

“A clear, concise message is important.” he said. “In a shorter timeout of 30 seconds it might be just giving them one thought as it pertains to what they’re trying to defend, preparation for something that could happen, anticipating, a couple of different play calls or whatever it is.”

(3) Motivation is getting your team excited to execute the plan you have laid out for them after the timeout. If you are not getting a strong response, this is your opportunity to “get them on board’ or make a slight change to the plan. By this point in the timeout, you probably won’t have much time and it is good to have a chant or yell that your team executes at the end of every timeout that gets them going. Again, this should be something that has been practiced so you know how the team will react.

Bottom Line…
Coach Wheeler with the Monadnock team at the Granite State Games
Go Team!

Will this guarantee that you will “win the timeout”? No. All it will do is give you a framework so that you and your team can do their best work. You never know what the competition will do… they may have even read this article too. All you can do is prepare your team and make the best use of the time you are given. That way you at least have a good chance to “win the timeout”. Now,  1-2-3… GO TEAM!

Things I Know – Coach Wheeler’s Basketball edition

This post is about the “Things I Know” when it comes playing basketball “the correct way”, i.e. the way that I like my teams to play. Each of these short “Things I Know” is followed by an action that players should carry out in the described situation.

Are these statements true in every situation? Probably not, but they are true in enough game situations that they should be worth building into your game plan. I should add that as you progress to higher and higher levels of basketball, e.g. college or the pros, the best players know these “things” and make sure they are the “exception to the rule”. In any case, my hope is that these “Things I know” will give you something to think about. (I also look forward to your ideas / feedback in the comments section below!)

1)  Players go slower when dribbling with their weak hand.
—-> Force them to their weak hand.

2)  Players dribbling with their weak hand will look for opportunities to switch back to their strong hand.
—-> Steal the ball when it is “presented”.

3)  Many players (especially in high school) won’t shoot with their weak hand (when they should).
—-> Block the shot.

4)  Offensive players who are trapped will often throw poor passes.
—-> Trap with hands up (don’t foul).
—-> Non-trap defenders must be ready and steal the pass.

5)  Tired players make mistakes.
—-> We want to tire out the other team, especially their primary ball handler(s), so that we can force them into mistakes later in the game.

6)  There is such a thing as a “good foul”.
—-> Non-shooting foul preferred
—-> A good foul prevents the other team from getting an easy shot.
—-> A good foul is also the result of hustle and aggressive defense.

7)  Defenders can U based on these three “Things I know”, if they are studying their opponent…
a) patterns / what the offense has done before
b) what appears to be the offense’s best option
c) where the offensive player is looking.
—-> Steal the ball.

8)  Help Defenders must put their body in the path of the [driving] offensive player.
—-> Concentrate on the ball… and take it away.
—-> Remember where your man was… anticipate the pass and steal it.

9)  On almost every play, a pass goes by a defender at shoulder or waist height but it is not deflected because the defender didn’t have their hands up (or wasn’t paying attention to the ball).
—-> Keep your hands up and in the passing lanes [at “pass height”].
—-> It is OK to stop a pass with your foot. Defense will be called for a “kick” but the other team’s offense will be disrupted and they will have to take the ball out of bounds (OOB).

10)  More fast breaks are killed by the player who rebounds the ball and then holds onto it.
—-> Pass the ball immediately. Know where your team mate will be.

11) Passing is faster than dribbling.
—-> Pass the ball to the open man ahead of you.

12)  RUN. Don’t slow down on a fastbreak. [this is most often done at, or near, the 3 point line].
—-> Break TO the basket first and then create space for a kickout pass.
—-> Don’t forget the 4th or 5th man down the court. Hit the trailer for a layup.
—-> Move the ball! Don’t let the defense set up.

13)  Offensive players must GET OPEN. Standing in place lets the defense to jump the pass when it is thrown to you.
—-> Use contact with your defender to create an opening for the pass.
—-> Put your hand out as a target to show your team mate where to pass the ball.

14)  Don’t run diagonally to get open. [This applies most often to guards being pressured in the backcourt.] Defenders can beat you to the ball when you cut diagonally.
—-> Use contact to get open.

15)  Call out picks. [No Excuses]

16)  When an offensive player picks up their dribble, they are locked to that location on the floor and their passing options are limited.
—-> Scream BALL, BALL, BALL when you see the offensive player pull up their dribble. It will increase their stress level and make it more likely that they will throw a bad pass.
—-> If you are covering the player who pulls up their dribble, get up close and extend your arms. Do not reach. Mirror the ball and try to tip any pass they might try to throw.

No list of “Things I Know” would be complete without mentioning OOB…

17)  When defending an Out of Bounds (OOB) situation, there are 5 defenders and only 4 offensive players on the court. (The inbounding player cannot move, unless it is immediately after a basket.) This gives an advantage to the defense (which many teams do not leverage until, maybe, the last play of the game).
—-> Double team someone, ideally the offensive team’s best player. Prevent the inbound pass to all other players.
—-> If the OOB is under the basket, protect the basket at all costs. “Nothing Inside!”
—-> Switch on picks. Call them out.
—-> Another option is to put your biggest defender (with longest arms) on the guy taking the ball out of bounds and try to tip the inbounds pass. The defender should mirror the ball so they can get a hand on the pass.
—-> If the OOB is after the basket, some of this does not apply…

Those are 17 “Things I know” – Basketball edition. They might also be called Coach Wheeler’s Pet Peeves since they are simple ways that a team can improve their advantage versus the competition. None of these things are very difficult but they do require some effort and even practice so that can be done automatically at a fast pace in a game.

What would you add to this list of Things I know? Please leave a comment below and tell us your ideas.

Do you want to win all the time?

Do you want to win all the time?
UConn WBB feel the sting of their loss to ND

If you follow women’s college basketball, you know that the UConn women’s basketball team seem to “win all the time”. . . until they lost in overtime in the NCAA semi-final game (in a way that was almost identical to what happened last year). During the season, it seemed like they could not be beaten. Now they have a new challenge which, unfortunately, seniors Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams won’t be around to help the team address.

Winning all the time…
is that what we really want?

Below is an excerpt that talks about “winning all the time”. It is from the last chapter in With Winning in Mind by Olympic Gold medalist Lanny Bassham …

With Winning In MindDo you want to win? Do you want to win all of the time? Really? What if you did? What if every attempt was successful and nothing ever went wrong? What if it became way too easy to do? How long would it take for you to tire of it? Winning is special because it is so difficult to do. We tend to value things in direct proportion to the price we pay for them. We do not learn very much standing on the top of the summit. All of the becoming happens on the way up the mountain. I hope you are having a lot of challenges along your journey of a dream. Resistance makes you stronger. If you are not having problems your goals are too low.

My hat is off to the UConn women’s basketball team for a great season … even if they did not make it to the championship game this year. With the loss fresh in their minds, it is hard to remember that we WANT to be challenged. If no one stepped up to give us a challenge, the value of winning would be diminished.

I look forward to next season and expect the UConn Women’s Basketball (WBB) team to win many more games. I also expect that Geno Auriemma and his coaching staff won’t be satisfied with anything less than a championship. The bar is high at UConn… and that’s why the players signed up to be UConn Huskies! They work hard to win all the time … and they will certainly learn from this loss so they can improve next year!

Story of theshot92

Here is the story of “TheShot92” . . . an unabridged edition for your enjoyment!

It happened on . . .
March 4th, 1992

Picture if you will . . .
… a sellout crowd of over 16,000 at the Hartford Civic Center to see the UConn Huskies vs. The Syracuse Orangemen in a Men’s Big East Basketball Game. Like many games late in the basketball season, energy was running high for everyone in attendence.

The first half was exciting and just before both teams head to their locker rooms to strategize at halftime, the UConn sports marketing department, as they always do at UConn games for halftime entertainment, selects 3 contestants for a basketball shooting contest. Contestants are selected by a sticker placed in 3 game programs and the person who makes the most foul shots in 30 seconds wins a chance to shoot for additional prizes.

Tonight, the first two spots are filled by people who had stickers in their programs – but they needed a third person.  UConn MBA student Dave Wheeler happens to be near where the contestants are meeting and he happily volunteers when asked to fill the 3rd and last spot. (Sometimes it just helps to be in the right place at the right time).

After the UConn and Syracuse players leave for halftime, the three contestants make their way to the court. Even though the Civic Center seats over 16,000 fans, many are out of their seats during halftime getting refreshments and hitting the rest rooms.  The remaining spectators don’t expect much from the shooting contest since it is rare that anyone wins a prize.

Since Dave was selected last, he has to shoot first.  His first few foul shots go in easily, then the pressure of the screaming fans sets in … his knees lock up and he misses the next few shots. One voice can be heard distinctly – calling out of the roar of the crowd – “BEND YOUR KNEES” – it sounds exactly like Dave’s Dad . . . even though Dave knows that he’s not there.

Finally Dave makes his last couple shots to end with a score of 6 made baskets in 30 seconds. Dave is disappointed and thinks he could have done better.  Compared to other halftime contests that he has seen, he knows that six is really pretty pitiful, but he only has to beat tonight’s competition.

Next to shoot is a middle aged Housewife. She has trouble hitting the backboard at all and doesn’t make a single shot. [Dave lets out a sigh of relief].

Next up is the real competition – an 8 year old boy (with his Dad standing by as a coach). The kid can just barely get the ball to the rim, but one rattles into the net.

He misses a few more, then another falls in. A few more topple in and, as the 30 second buzzer sounds . . . [most impartial observers agree the ball was still in his hands when the buzzer went off] . . . he heaves up one last prayer of a shot . . .  it rolls around . . . AND IT GOES IN ! It’s all tied up.

It’s time for a Sudden Death shootout between Dave, a 29 year old graduate student . . . and an eight year old boy.

Dave shoots first and makes his first shot. Dave certainly doesn’t want to be embarrassed by losing to this little kid.

The 8 year old steps up to the foul line, throws it toward the basket and makes his first shot – The crowd goes wild !

Dave steps up for his second shot and the crowd is starting to turn nasty. The want the little kid to win. Did we mention that the contest was right in front of the student section, the rowdiest part of the arena?

It is hard to imagine what it is like to be boo’d by 16,000 people (since, by now, most spectators had returned from getting refreshments or using the bathroom). Even with the crowd against him, Dave makes his second sudden death foul shot and feels pretty confident. The pressure is really on the kid now.

The 8 year old steps to the line, pauses, heaves the ball to the basket – and it hits the front of the rim and bounces up, over, and IN ! [Needless to say the crowd is ecstatic!]

Dave’s third shot. Now he gets to see what visiting players experience when they are shooting foul shots – facing the rowdiest fans in the building – the student section. The BOO’s are raining down from all corners of the arena since everyone wants the 8 year old to win. Dave steps up, shoots, follows through and . . . it goes in.

By now Dave (and the rest of the 16,000 fans) are pretty impressed by this 8 year old. To make two shots in a row is quite an accomplishment – especially against someone who has played basketball all his life and even competed at the college level.

Now the crowd is cheering for the 8 year old to make a third shot – he bounces the ball a couple of times, eyes the rim, takes a deep breath and lets it go. It gets to the rim . . . bounces from side to side . . . and falls out. The crowd moans.

Now Dave gets to shoot for prizes:

Since he won the shootout, he gets to go for the prizes. If the first shot (from the foul line) is made, Dave gets a pair of Reebok sneakers and everyone in the arena gets a free order of bread sticks from Pizza Hut.

The announcer explains the prizes and ends with “good luck Dave”.  Strange as it sounds, it is almost like the pressure is off. Dave steps up and makes the free throw.

The second shot is from the Three Point Line – top of the key – about a 20 foot shot. Dave starts to get a little cocky and asks the guy running the event if he should shoot from the College or the NBA 3 point line. He even makes an exaggerated gesture pointing at each line so anyone watching could figure out what he was asking. [Did we mention that Dave was quite the smart aleck ! ? !]

The sports marketing guy running the contest concedes that the college line will be fine, while the announcer is explaining the prizes . . . “If Dave makes this shot he will get a SNET Cellular phone and, instead of bread sticks, everyone in attendance will get a free Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut! Good Luck Dave.”

Upon hearing this the crowd quickly forgets that they were booing him only minutes before and the noise and cheering starts. Dave tracks down the same (good) ball as before and steps up. With a nice easy jump shot, the ball sails toward the basket and splashes through the net. The crowd lets out a huge cheer [since they had just won some pizza]. Now the real tension starts.

The last shot, “theshot92”, is for two round trip tickets anywhere in the Continental U.S. and “Pizza for a Year” for Dave and a medium Pizza Hut pizza for everyone in the Civic Center. Needless to say, all 16,000 fans are on their feet – anyone who had left for intermission has come back in to see what the commotion is all about.

The next shot – from half court – has what seems like an eternity of buildup by the announcer, giving Dave some time to decide how he is going to try to make this shot. He thinks he could throw it, but he wouldn’t have enough control. He could try to shoot it like a regular shot, but probably wouldn’t have enough distance to get it there. Dave decides to shoot it with two hands – kind of like a chest pass.

There is only one over-riding thought – Don’t let it be short. The UConn crowds are notoriously merciless with their chants of “AIR-BALL, AIR-BALL” when opposing teams miss the rim on a foul shot – and that’s when there isn’t even any pizza involved !

Dave figures at the very least by trying to bounce it off the backboard it might compensate for the weakness that has started in his knees and is now spreading to his arms and the rest of my body. The pressure is making Dave “weak in the knees” so adjusts his target and bounces the ball a couple times while he waits.

The announcer wraps up his description of the prizes and gives Dave his cue to shoot, ” . . . Good Luck Dave”.

Dave shoots.

It looks straight.

It’s hard to tell if it will make it . . . until he sees it hit the bottom of the net –

Straight in –

Nothing But Net !

The crowd erupts. The UConn mascot runs over to congratulate him. A standing ovation from 16,000 of his closest friends [remember. . . there was pizza involved].

theshot92 UConn halfcourt

People from the courtside UConn band ask for Dave’s autograph before he can even leave the court. He must have signed about 20 or 30 programs before finally walking back up to his seat with all the coupons for the prizes. . . shaking hands with everyone as he makes his way up the steps.

Needless to say – the rest of that UConn/Syracuse Big East Basketball game on March 4th, 1992 was kind of anti-climatic. Some people even say they heard a chant near the end of the game “Put in the Pizza Guy” !

That’s the story of TheShot92 !

We hope you enjoyed it.

Power of “Optional”

If you think about it… Basketball is “optional”, especially in middle school and high school. As far as I can tell, no one is ‘required’ to play basketball. Just like no one is ‘required’ to go to college or earn an above average living from a career they enjoy. Almost every great experience or achievement is ‘optional’.

We each get to choose what optional things we want in our life and what optional activities we are willing to put in to our life to get exceptional rewards! As I heard on the Pure Sweat podcast (paraphrasing a bit), “Winning is earned by what you do in the unseen hours.”

Great = Optional

As Jim Collins pointed out in his book, Good to Great, “Good is the enemy of Great.” The reason we have so few things that are great is because what we have is generally “good”. Most people are ready to settle for “good enough” and never discover that they could have achieved something great.

It is very simple. If you want to be great at anything, you have to do things that average people don’t do. You have to do the ‘optional things’. In basketball, if you want to be an all-state player, you need to work on your shot and your athletic ability (assuming those are areas that will make you successful). In school, the optional things could include an extra study session every night or finding a new way to study that is more effective.

Optional is not easy… or hard

Doing extra things, optional things, can be hard. It might involve working harder, getting up earlier than your competition and putting in longer hours. That might be hard… or not. You might actually find ways to enjoy the optional activities. Many athletes are proud of the hours they put in and it gives them a sense of confidence that they would not have otherwise.

Optional can be easy. Press the easy button.On the other hand, optional things could actually BE easy. Finding a new way of doing something can almost instantly take your performance to a new level.  Reading on your topic of interest, while perhaps mentally taxing, can be a physically relaxing activity that can give you an advantage over the competition.

Referring back to Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great, one of the counter-intuitive findings that he came up with, and documented with a number of stories in his book, is that it isn’t really harder to go for great than it is to settle for “good”. Are there some different activities? Sure. Do great teams do things different from good teams? Sure. But does it have to be harder? Definitely not.

Quick Mental Training Tip…

Whether something is easy or hard, good or bad… is your choice. You get to define the meaning of everything in your life. A person’s definition of ‘reality’ can be very subjective so why not choose the meaning that gives you the best results. If you want it to be easy, make it easy. If you want to challenge yourself with something hard, make it hard. You get to choose.

Bottom Line…

The optional effort is what makes you stand out. As I’ve said in another article, Hustle is a way to stand out… and Hustle is clearly ‘optional’. What other activities do you need to do to get what you want? By doing the ‘optional’, you are setting yourself from the pack, from the ‘average’ results and shooting for something better. How far are you willing to go? Your limits are just an illusion set up by other people. You can do more than you even imagine!

The Talent Mirage

When we see someone who performs at a high level, whether it is in music or sports or academically, we assume that a good part of their abilities are the result of talent, something they were born with. That’s the Talent Mirage.

Talent Mirage - skill pyramid
Coach Wheeler’s Skills Pyramid

We fail to recognize the amount of hard work and learning that it took to develop the skills that we see. That’s why Talent is a Mirage. It is something we see… that is not there. Talent is simply the [often highly polished] skills acquired over time based on hard work and learning.

Aren’t some people born with “talent”?

We are all born with differences but it would be delusion to call it “inborn talent”. For example, maybe our parents have developed skills in certain areas so we are exposed to something before someone else. That’s not talent… it’s environment.

What about someone who is born to tall parents and are likely to become tall? That is certainly a difference… but it doesn’t guarantee that this tall person will be good at basketball. A tall person who doesn’t develop a love of the game and a strong work ethic won’t amount to much of a player. On the other hand, a small or shorter person who loves the game and puts in the effort to develop their body to its highest potential while also learning skills to become a better basketball player can be highly successful.  It isn’t the cards we are dealt, it is how we play them. Talent is a mirage.

Attitude is more important than “Talent”

If you buy into the idea that “Talent” is just skills developed over time, then the key to putting in the time is ATTITUDE. Skill building is fueled by attitude. The hard work becomes FUN … with the right attitude. A player with the right attitude is coachable and can pick up ideas that will make them a better player.

A key part of “Attitude” is the ability to be okay being “bad”. One of my favorite quotes is by football coach and legendary business leader, A.L.Williams, who said…

“Remember, before you can be great, you’ve got to be good.

Before you can be good, you’ve got to be bad.

But before you can even be bad, you’ve got to try.”

― Art Williams, All You Can Do is All You Can Do

If you are going to build your “pyramid of skills” that will lead to what society calls “Talent”, you will have to get used to being bad at something before you are good at it.  This is also related to the Growth vs. Fixed Mindset which I learned about through Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success“.

Growth = Skills Mindset
Fixed = Talent Mindset

In short, the Growth Mindset, according to Dweck’s book, is when someone see any challenge as an opportunity for growth. If they fail, the growth mindset says that they have not learned how to succeed or have not put in the work to develop the skills necessary to succeed. In other words, someone with the Growth mindset doesn’t let failure stop them. They continue to build their skills until they win.

Contrast that with the Fixed Mindset. Someone with a fixed (or “Talent”) mindset goes into every challenge with the assumption that they either have the talent to succeed or they don’t. If they fail, they conclude that they don’t have the talent for that activity and should not do it in the future. As you can imagine, the world of possibilities get smaller and smaller for someone with the “Talent mindset”.

Unfortunately, this Fixed / Talent mindset is often reinforced even when someone is successful… by friends, family or coaches who see the success as a result of “talent”. The question I have for you is … “If you are trying to get across a desert, would you drink the water pointed out by someone who sees a mirage?” The Talent Mirage is a trap. Don’t get sucked into believing in Talent. You may have Skills … and you will need more skills if you are going to compete at the highest levels.

Why do so many people
believe in the Talent Mirage?

Most often, it is a case of mis-matched timelines. If a 6th grader was playing against Michael Jordan, the timeline mismatch would be obvious. When players of the same age compete, it is almost impossible to see how much time (and hard work) each athlete has put into building their skills. It is easy to attribute this difference in skill levels to “talent”, especially if one player has certain physical gifts that seem to give them an advantage. Don’t get trapped by the Talent Mirage.

“[Everything] is made, not born.”
– Seth Godin, Marketing Legend & Thought Leader
as heard on the Tim Ferriss podcast.

Don’t you want “Talented” players on your team?

YES… keeping in mind what that really means. We want players who have developed valuable skills and can perform at a high level. We also believe that players can be developed… given enough time and effort (with the right mindset / attitude). So, as coaches, our job is to recognize the skills that a player has while encouraging them to work hard to add other skills which will make them even more successful.

Bottom Line for you and I …

Take the first step on the skills pyramidDon’t use the Talent Mirage as an excuse for not putting in the effort to develop the skills that will allow you to compete at the highest levels. Don’t worry if you can’t see or even imagine all the skills you will need to become successful. Start where you are and keep working hard to improve… step by step. Someday someone will say “You are so Talented.” When that happens, just smile and say “Thank You”… knowing that you put in the effort over time to get where you are. Remember… Talent is a Mirage.

 

HUSTLE – It sets you apart.

At the InviteOnly 2017 PreSeason Basketball Camp held last weekend at Keene State College, I gave a brief impromptu “speech” about the topic of “Hustle” and how it can set you apart from other players trying out for your team.

Based on the reception of that speech about the importance of hustling, I figured it might be a good topic for a post on this blog as well. Clearly Hustling is tied to your mental toughness because, for most players, it does come naturally… at first. Once you start to hustle, you will find that it will become easier. You will have to think about it at first but eventually it will become automatic. You just have to make the decision to start NOW!

What is “Hustle”?

Hustling is the act of “not waiting for things to happen” but rather doing whatever it takes to “make things happen”. It is all about increasing the pace that you do things.

Why does Hustle matter?

Hustling is visible. It tells your team mates that what you are doing is important and can’t wait. It tells your coach that you are enthusiastic about being on the team and, to a certain extent, that you are a hard worker. As a player who hustles, it is clear that you are putting in an extra effort… and coaches love to see that.

Hustling builds confidence. You might not notice it, but as you are hustling, you are getting results FASTER than others. It is like you are winning a race against people who don’t even know that there is a race going on. With time, your “hustle habit” will give you confidence both in the areas where you develop skills as well as areas you have not even tried. Why? Because you will know that HUSTLE WORKS.

Hustling gives you a head start. You arrive early while others show up at the last minute. Since you have more time to become accustomed to whatever situation you find yourself in, you have more time to take [a better] action. All because you hustled while others took their own sweet time. Why do you think that “the early bird gets the worm”?

Where should I be Hustling?

You should hustle in any area of your life that you want to achieve superior results. People who hustle in business get more done and make more money. People who hustle in school get better grades and get into better colleges. People who hustle in relationships show how important these relationships are to them.

What is important to you?

hustle NOWWant to improve your chances of making the team?
Start Hustling.

Want to improve the likelihood that you will get more minutes in the game?
Start Hustling.

If something is important to you… You should be hustling.
The time to Hustle is NOW.

 

4 Part Basketball Year

The one basketball season ends and another basketball year begins. If you are only playing and working on your game during the “official school season” than you are missing out.  Below are the 4 sections / timelines that make up the “4 part basketball year” plus the off-season.  Let’s start with the day after your school season ends…

Off Season (Spring/Summer/Fall)

  • Spring AAU
  • Summer League
  • Fall AAU
  • Open gym(s) at school
  • Pickup games
  • Weight Training

Once practices can start, the season is officially ON !  Below are the parts of the season along with the focus area for each time period.

1st Quarter- Pre-Season – before first game

  • Tryouts
  • Practices / Conditioning
  • Learn techniques and formations
  • Scrimmages
  • Keep it simple / Learn The Basics

 

2nd Quarter – First Encounters (1st Half of Season)

  • Play first round of home/away games
  • Find out what works vs. competition (adapt as needed)
  • Fine tune & Accelerate “The Basics”
  • Continue conditioning / strength gains
  • Gauge the competition (Strengths & Weaknesses)

 

3rd Quarter – Revenge/Payback time (2nd Half of Season)

  • Must get better (the competition isn’t standing still)
  • Prep for playoffs
  • Keep conditioning / Make it Fun !
  • Maintain FOCUS. Stay sharp.
  • Take breaks when needed to maintain energy.
  • Cold & Flu season… rest to recover quicker.

 

4th Quarter – Win or Go Home (Playoffs)

  • Perform at your best.
  • Few “Easy Wins”… even lower seeds are playing hard.
  • Have a few surprises up your sleeve.
  • High level of Mental Toughness / Facing The Challenges
Why use “4 Part Basketball Year”?

Breaking up the season into “chucks”, each with a different area of focus and specific “feel”, helps your team fight the boredom of a long season. It also breaks up the grind of weeks of conditioning and keeps players fresh.

A physical test in each quarter, either as part of a game or practice, can be a good milestone to show progress when compared with tests earlier in the season.  I like to have some standard tests for evaluating players and it is good to come back to them in each section of the season to show players that they are indeed getting better.

Bottom line…

Looking at the overall season as a “4 part basketball year” helps your planning efforts as a coach. It should also make the year more enjoyable and more successful for your players. The outline above is just a starting point. Feel free to add your own components to each section and use the outline as a planning tool for this year as well as years to come. If you see something that doesn’t belong, please leave us a comment below. Even if you disagree, your comments and ideas will be helping us get better.